A More Masculine Look
Gynecomastia is the presence of excess fat, glandular tissue, or skin in the male breast area. Although gynecomastia is a common condition, men who have enlarged breasts may wish to reduce them in order to achieve a more masculine chest profile.
Gynecomastia is the medical term for abnormal enlargement of the male breast. A fairly common condition affecting almost half of all males during development, it can occur on one or both sides of the chest and is the result of excessive breast tissue, fat, or both.
Excessively large breasts are also a very frequent concern for men following weight loss. Following weight loss, men often have remaining excess skin, fat, and sometimes dense fibrous tissue in the region of the breasts. These excess tissues may not only involve the breast but extend towards the sides and back as well. Dr. Capella has a very large amount of experience in treating male weight loss patients with these concerns and he is regarded among the most experienced New Jersey Gynecomastia Surgery providers. Male weight loss patients may either be candidates for liposuction or a combination of liposuction and excess skin, fat, and breast tissue removal. Most cases of gynecomastia not relating to obesity and weight loss are part of a normal or “physiological” phase of development. It can occur with the onset of puberty but usually regresses by age 20. It can also occur with aging in otherwise healthy males. Although most cases of gynecomastia are part of a normal phase of development, there are pathologic causes.
These causes may be related to decreased production of testosterone (male hormone), increased production of estrogen (female hormone), or certain drugs. The use of anabolic steroids (used by bodybuilders, and other drugs (marijuana, alcohol, cimetidine, spironolactone; some anti-depressants, for example) can be the cause of gynecomastia. Gynecomastia can be a sign of liver disease; however, the majority of cases have no known cause. Certainly, most affected adolescent boys will “grow out of it” if no treatment is rendered. If this does not occur, treatment is available to reduce the size of the soft tissues, either by removal of fatty tissue using liposuction or by open removal of breast gland tissue using a small incision around the areola or pigmented area of the nipple. In more extensive cases where there are large amounts of excess skin, more lengthy skin incisions (and therefore longer scars) may be necessary to remove the redundant skin.
Feel Good in Your Body
Gynecomastia surgery frees many men from the feelings of self-consciousness that can accompany having excess breast tissue. It can be used to treat gynecomastia caused by a range of factors, including weight changes, hormone imbalances, or medication side effects.
In some cases, gynecomastia is temporary and can be resolved without surgery. In others, reducing breast tissue can only be accomplished with a surgical approach. As a specialist in surgical body contouring procedures, including Gynecomastia Surgery New Jersey plastic surgeon, Dr. Capella, carefully designs each treatment around the patient’s anatomy, degree of gynecomastia, and surgical goals. Results can be lifelong, given that any conditions that previously caused breast tissue development are being managed.
Experience Leading Surgical Care
Dr. Capella will take a thorough medical history, including a history of obesity and weight loss and a history of alcohol or marijuana abuse, and a careful drug history.
Preparing for Surgery
During the gynecomastia surgery pre-operative period, you will need to take certain precautions to ensure a safe procedure.
Understanding Male Breast Reduction
Prophylactic antibiotics are given at the time of surgery and for 24 hours following the procedure to reduce the risk of surgical wound infection. A prescription for pain medication is also written so that you have pain pills when you return home from the operation.
The details of the techniques used on the day of gynecomastia surgery (or male breast reduction) are determined by your unique anatomy. Depending on the degree of breast enlargement present in your case, Dr. Capella will review the exact surgical approach he would take to provide you with the best contour using the least invasive operation. In the least invasive approach, and if most of the enlargement is fatty in nature, he may utilize liposuction to contour the breast area. Under a general anesthetic (completely asleep), or sometimes using local anesthesia with an intravenous sedative, he makes very small incisions through which he inserts a small tube. Vacuum suction applied to the tube then extracts the fat, leaving you with a smoother, flatter contour. Gynecomastia surgery usually takes about an hour and is done as an outpatient procedure.
Broadcast Confidence
Male breast reduction yields results that can be permanent. Scars are inevitable but can be placed in less conspicuous locations. Men who have undergone male breast reduction for gynecomastia often experience significantly improved confidence and feel more comfortable in many areas of their lives. Breast tissue can return as a consequence of subsequent weight gain, hormonal imbalances, or the use of certain drugs. You can keep your more masculine look in the long term by maintaining a stable weight and addressing any health conditions or medication-related side effects. Gynecomastia Surgery will likely help you feel more confident wearing t-shirts or baring your chest poolside, helping you enjoy a better quality of life.
Getting Your Best Results
At the conclusion of your procedure, sterile dressings and a garment will be placed over your chest.
Though the skin of the breast may feel numb for a while, usually the feeling returns in six to eight weeks, but it can take up to a year to feel completely normal. Heavy exercise involving the upper body should be avoided for six weeks, and you should stay away from sporting activities or work that risks a blow to the chest for a similar period of time. Avoiding sun exposure to the incision sites for six months or more reduces the risk of dark pigmentation of the scars; you may need to use sunscreen for up to a year for this reason. It normally takes approximately 12 weeks for all of the initial swelling to subside, and it takes one to two years for the scars to mature and fade.
Gynecomastia
Are there risks associated with Gynecomastia Surgery?
Complications from gynecomastia surgery are infrequent and usually minor, though no surgical procedure is without some risk. These would include bleeding, infection, loss of sensation that may take up to a year to recover and could be permanent, visible irregularities in the skin, asymmetry, and fluid accumulations beneath the skin following the operation that may require drainage.
I am a man and unhappy with my breasts' size. Can liposuction alone help me?
Possibly. If the skin of your chest has good tone and your excess breast tissue is primarily fat, you may benefit from liposuction alone.
I am a man and have lost lots of weight. I am unhappy with the large and sagging appearance of my breasts. Can this be addressed with liposuction?
No. Men with sagging breasts following weight loss will most likely benefit from a surgical procedure to remove breast tissue and skin.
Does Dr. Capella perform a lot of Gynecomastia surgery?
