Gynecomastia for Men - Before the Winter Holidays / Get Ready For Summer

What is Gynecomastia?

Gynecomastia in men is the condition of having abnormally large breasts. There is a lot of variation in the degrees of abnormal enlargement. The growth can be very small and limited to some hard fibrous tissue limited to the areola only or as large as breasts like that of a female. Most gynecomastia is somewhere in between these two extremes. Hormonal imbalances in men can sometimes cause female like breasts to develop in male bodies. This swelling of breast tissues is a medical condition which is also known as breast hypertrophy and gynecomastia is more commonly known as man-boobs. Gynecomastia  usually occurs on both sides of the chest of a man however it can also only affect a single side.

What Causes Gynecomastia?

Certain hormonal, environmental, developmental and dietary factors play a role in increasing the probability of developing Gynecomastia. Gynecomastia can develop in men due to increasing weight and obesity. This is because there are higher levels of fat that are deposited in the breast area of the male if they are obese. Body builders who have used or regularly use of high doses of anabolic steroids to build up muscle mass can also increase the chances of developing Gynecomastia. This is because they are reducing their own production of testosterone with their use of these steroids.

An alarming cause for Gynecomastia is increased levels of estrogen-like substances and steroids in food products. These hormones are fed to the animals to increase their muscle mass and weight. Access to high levels of estrogen due to contamination in the environment can put a man at higher risk of developing Gynecomastia. High levels of marijuana use can also lead to gynecomastia. This happens because the balance between testosterones hormones and estrogen hormones is disturbed.  Estrogen is the female hormone which helps the breast tissues develop and testosterones are male hormones which stop breast tissue from growing. 

How Do You Cure Gynecomastia?

There is no natural way to cure Gynecomastia. If the gynecomastia is due to obesity weight loss with diet and exercise will help. There is no medicine that will help although there are plenty of companies that are selling this junk.

Surgery is the only way to treat Gynecomastia. This is performed with a combination of procedures which includes direct surgical excision with and without liposuction for contouring the rest of the chest. therefore,, if you want quick visible results, the only solution is a surgery to reduce the male breasts.

Who Should Opt for Male Breast Reduction Surgery

Any male that is healthy and older than 14 years can safely opt for this surgery. Boys in the pre-puberty or puberty stage may be candidates however the problem may partially correct itself with maturation and weight loss. Therefore, parents may wait about going for this surgery as there is a small  chances of the problem getting only partially fixed on its own once their hormones get balanced with time.

How Dangerous is this Surgery and What Anesthesia is used?

This surgery is extremely safe. In this surgery, the excess glandular breast is removed. The dense tissue is removed through excision and the rest of the softer breast can be removed by liposuction. Overall, this surgery can be done in as little as one half hour and may take longer, roughly 2 hours. It can be done in an office setting and the patient is not required to be admitted in a hospital. 

The anesthesia used differs from case to case. A severe case of Gynecomastia with larger breasts may require general anesthesia whereas a smaller breast enlargement can be removed under local anesthesia.

We hope this article was helpful in answering your queries. You can visit Dr. Norman Bakshandeh Day’s website at www.dayplasticsurgery.com or call the office at 718-246-0130 to schedule a consultation for evaluation and  to get more for your specific needs. A part of the Gynecomastia surgery can be covered by insurance.