Breast reduction surgery is not only for women. Men, too, can suffer from extreme breast growth.
Gynecomastia is the name given to this embarrassing condition, which can affect nearly half of all men at some point in their lives.
Male breast reduction surgery helps men suffering from gynecomastia live normal lives without the psychological trauma that comes with having “man boobs.”
The procedure eliminates the excess fat and breast tissue, leaving the chest flatter and more masculine in shape.
Want to know if you’re a viable candidate for male breast reduction surgery? Keep reading to determine if you have what it takes to benefit from this life-improving cosmetic procedure.
Gynecomastia is caused by a hormonal imbalance. More specifically, it involves the male and female hormones, otherwise known as testosterone and estrogen.
Excessive male breast growth can affect one or both breasts. While the condition is benign, gynecomastia can cause diminished self-confidence. In rare cases, the male gyno causes pain.
The hormonal imbalance that leads to gynecomastia can be the aftermath of excessive drug use, medications, alcoholism, and health conditions like hypogonadism.
The condition can affect men at any age. More than half of all male infants are born with greater breast growth than what we call normal, though the condition usually subsides within two to three weeks following birth.
The condition can appear in puberty and could last between six months to two years without some type of treatment.
When a man reaches the age of fifty and through the age of sixty-nine, he has a one in four chance of experiencing male breast growth as an older man.
For many men, gynecomastia will go away on its own. For other men, the condition will persist, which means surgery may be the only option.
Male breast reduction surgery is another name for gynecomastia surgery. Some surgeons perform this outpatient procedure under general anesthesia, though some doctors choose to use intravenous sedation instead.
A gynecomastia surgeon has options when performing a male breast reduction. This is one of those surgeries that is tailored to the patient.
The average male breast reduction procedure could involve surgical removal of tissue (otherwise called excision), liposuction, or a combination of the two. The type of surgery you undergo will depend on the amount of excess fat, tissue, and skin that the surgeon needs to remove.
Regardless of which techniques the surgeon uses, gynecomastia is a minimally-invasive procedure that requires tiny incisions.
During the procedure, the surgeon makes one-inch or smaller incisions around the breasts. Once the excess fat is removed with liposuction, and the excess tissue is excised, the results will be instantaneous.
Male breast reduction surgery can be scarless. In some cases, there could be visible scars. Talk to your surgeon if you worry about scars showing up after you have healed from surgery. Your doctor can use the natural contours of your breasts to minimize scarring. Your surgeon may also have tips for helping scars fade if any are visible after six months or longer.
Now to the big question. Are you a viable candidate for a male breast reduction procedure?
A gynecomastia surgeon will want to assess the severity of your condition before making a recommendation for surgery. This assessment is conducted during an initial consultation, which is a one-on-one, private meeting between you and the doctor.
The surgeon will first determine if he/she can correct your gynecomastia through alternative medical treatments. It could be that stopping medication or halting illicit drug use causes the condition to subside on its own.
A physical examination will help the surgeon determine the state of your general health. To be considered for surgery, you must be healthy with a lack of life-threatening illness or medical conditions that could impair healing.
The surgeon will want to ensure you are a non-smoker and non-drug user before giving permission for gynecomastia surgery. Smoking and drugs can hinder healing, which could put you at risk, and mar your results. Your surgeon may advise you to quit smoking and drug use in the months before surgery to mitigate these risks.
You must have realistic expectations before a gynecomastia surgeon will consider you for a male gyno procedure. You must demonstrate that you have a positive outlook and goals for improving the physical symptoms of gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia surgery cannot work miracles, nor can male breast reduction give you a bodybuilder’s chest. However, if you want more attractive contours and a flatter appearance to your chest, you might be a viable candidate for the breast reduction technique.
The best candidates for male breast reduction surgery are close to their ideal weight, possess realistic expectations for what cosmetic surgery can do for the body, and have a history of good health.
Of course, you should also have the means to pay for surgery.
The good news is that, as cosmetic treatments go, gynecomastia surgery isn’t that expensive.
The total cost of male gyno surgery costs between $6300 and $8500.
The cost of a gynecomastia procedure includes all pre-operative and post-operative appointments, anesthesia during the surgery, all surgical materials, and the post-op compression garment.
The post-op compression garment is used during gynecomastia surgery recovery to aid with healing and assist with the improved contours of your chest.
Once the surgeon select you a suitable candidate for surgery, you will be provided with specific guidelines. These steps will help you prepare for the gynecomastia procedure.
Preparing for surgery could involve discontinuing prescription medications and supplements. There are some substances that could interfere with surgical drugs. Examples include anti-inflammatories, aspirin, and Vitamin E.
By now it should be clear if gynecomastia surgery is right for you. You might find that you still have work to do before considering male breast reduction. You might want to quit smoking, lose weight, and talk to your doctor about medications that could be causing your condition.
If you do believe you’d be an excellent candidate for male breast reduction, the next step is to choose an expert in gynecomastia treatment.
Scheduling a consultation with a qualified Gynecomastia surgeon can give you the final determination you need before making a decision to do surgery.
As a board-certified cosmetic surgeon with decades of direct experience, Dr. Moein has performed thousands of life-changing procedures.
His training as a medical artist has helped him develop a sense of symmetry and proportion. These skills help to deliver the natural contours of the human body. With subtle adjustments, Dr. Moein is able to deliver gynecomastia surgical results that look and feel natural.
If you are psychologically traumatized by excessive male breast growth and wish to enhance your physique, Dr. Moein can incorporate your goals into a customized treatment plan.
Come meet Dr. Moein and his compassionate staff at Moein Surgical Arts. Visit us in Los Angeles or contact us to schedule your initial consultation. You can call Dr. Moein today for your private and personal consultation by dialing (310)694-4486.