Male Breast Tissue
( Gynecomastia )
The medical term Gynecomastia comes
from the Greek words for “women-like breast.” It is
much more common than is generally recognized,
affecting an estimated 40 to 60 percent of men,
especially those over 50.
Although there are certain medical conditions and drugs
(including marijuana and alcohol) that can cause
enlarged breast, in the vast majority of cases there is
no known cause. The problem is primarily cosmetic,
causing embarrassment in the locker room and at the
beach.
It’s never too late to correct gynecomastia, provided
you’re in good physical and psychological health. If
your gynecomastia consists primarily of excessive fatty
tissue, Liposuction can be done. If your breast
enlargement is caused primarily by glandular tissue,
the excess tissue will probably be cut out, sometimes
in conjunction with Liposuction. In most cases the
tissue can be removed through small incisions in places
where the scars will be inconspicuous.
Whether you’ve had Liposuction or
excision surgery, you may feel some discomfort for a
few days afterwards; it can easily be controlled with
medication. In any case, you should arrange to have
someone drive you home after surgery and to help you
out for a day or two if needed. You’ll be swollen and
bruised for a while, in fact, you may wonder at first
if there’s been any improvement at all. To help reduce
the swelling, you’ll be asked to wear an elastic
pressure garment continuously for a week or two, and
for a few weeks longer at night. While the worst of
your swelling will dissipate in the first few weeks, it
may be three months or more before the final results of
your surgery are apparent.
In the meantime, you’ll be getting back to normal.
You’ll be encouraged to begin walking around on the day
of surgery, and you can return to work when you feel
well enough which could be as early as three or four
days after surgery. You should avoid heavy exercise for
the first two or three weeks; then you can begin
gradually to resume your normal activities.