Gynecomastia is basically swelling of the breast tissues in boys and men. This is usually caused due to an imbalance of the hormones, estrogen, and testosterone. Gynecomastia can affect either one or both the breasts, sometimes in an uneven manner. Newborn babies, boys who go through puberty along with older men might develop this condition as a result of normal changes in the levels of the hormone.
It is not necessarily a serious problem but men might find it difficult to cope with this condition. This condition can go away on its own. In case, it persists, consultations with a cosmetic/plastic surgeon can be of great help.
Before looking at the tips from a cosmetic/plastic surgeon to come out of this problem, let us briefly talk about the symptoms and causes related to Gynecomastia.

Symptoms- 
There are certain signs and symptoms, which suggest that men could well be suffering from gynecomastia. They include the likes of:

Swelling of the breast gland tissue
Pain
Tenderness
Nipple getting discharged in either one or both the breasts
Causes -
Gynecomastia is usually triggered by a decrease in the amount of the hormone testosterone compared with estrogen. Different things can alter the hormonal balance like:

1. Natural hormonal changes

2. Several medicines including:

Anti-androgens used for treating enlarged prostate, prostate cancer
Anabolic steroids
Medicines for AIDS
Anti-anxiety medicines
Tricyclic antidepressants
Antibiotics
3. Consumption of alcohol
4. Heroin and other such drugs
5. Several health conditions like Hypogonadism, Hyperthyroidism, Kidney failure, Live cirrhosis, etc.

Tips From Cosmetic/Plastic Surgeon-
Consultation with Cosmetic/Plastic Surgeon can let men have useful tips as to the treatment as well as prevention of Gynecomastia. They include the following:

Liposuction Treatment can be an ideal way to get rid of this problem. It removes fat from the breast but leaves behind the breast gland tissue in its place. The treatment involves making two or more small incisions through narrow tubes get inserted into the chest region. The tube gets moved around gently to loosen up the excess fat tissue, which is then sucked out. The treatment involves less amount of scar.
Cosmetic/Plastic Surgeon can advise patients that there are iatrogenic causes behind this problem like side-effects from any medicine or health issues like an overactive thyroid or tumor.
Mastectomy can be another effective method of treatment. It is performed endoscopically and thus has a quicker recovery time. A patient can stay at the hospital for a few hours and go back. This involves less amount of scarring.
Cosmetic/Plastic Surgeons can also go for another extremely effective method in their hands to take care of this problem of Gynecomastia. It is the Excision Technique. This is recommended where glandular breast tissue or excess skin must be removed to cure this. The patterns of incision would vary depending on the specific conditions and patients  surgical preference.


All You Must Know About Gynecomastia!

When it comes to a man's physique, enlarged breasts can be quite embarrassing. This is a condition known as male gynecomastia and affects more men than you would imagine. Though it does not pose a significant health risk, it can affect a man's psychological health and lower his self confidence. The good news is that men suffering from this condition do not need to live with it.

Male breast reduction surgery or gynecomastia surgery, aims at reconfiguring the contours of a man's chest by removing breast fat. The only permanent solution to this condition is surgery. This is because fat tissues are not solely responsible for enlarged breasts. Often glandular tissue is present in excessive amounts as well.

Gynecomastia surgery is usually performed under local anesthesia with liposuction being the most preferred procedure. This procedure begins when the surgeon makes a small incision on each side of the chest. These incisions are usually placed along the natural contours of the body, around the edge of the areola or near the armpit so as to reduce the visibility of scars. Excess fat and glandular tissue is then sucked out of this incision. Simultaneously, the surgeon sculpts the other tissues in the chest to redefine chest contours. Patients are usually advised to wear a compression garment after the surgery to support the healing tissues and minimize swelling.

Results of this procedure are visible almost immediately. Recovery from gynecomastia surgery is usually quick and many men find themselves back to their normal routine within a few days. However, vigorous exercising and heavy lifting should be avoided for a few weeks after the surgery. The patient may also experience slight soreness and minimal pain that can be relieved with over the counter pain killers. Some men may also experience a temporary loss of sensation in the area. Though the results of this procedure are permanent, there is no guarantee that it will not recur.

Gynecomastia may recur as a result of significant weight gain, use of steroids or as a side effect to certain types of medication. Hence, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid drugs that influence your testosterone levels. Regular exercise can also help tone the chest muscles and keep this condition from recurring.

Embarrassed Because of Enlarged Breast? Male Breast Reduction Can Help

Most men, about 60%, see some development of breast tissue in their lifetime. This growth could be round, symmetrical and occurs bilaterally. This growth of breast tissue in males is medically known as gynecomastia.

Causes:

The most common cause is an imbalance between the oestrogen and androgens, with excessive oestrogens leading to the growth of breast tissue.
Excessive use of anabolic steroids
Obesity
Unknown reasons
It can affect men of all ages, and if this presents as a serious problem, then surgery is the most definitive form of treatment.

Surgical options: There are two major options available for correcting gynecomastia   liposuction and excisive surgery.

Liposuction:

Done either under local sedation or under general anaesthesia depending on the extent of the tissue proliferation
A small incision is made either in the armpit or around the areola
Excessive fat tissue and breast gland tissue are suctioned out
The chest contour also is altered at the same time, if desirable
Post-surgery, the person is made to wear a compression garment for the first few days
This helps in keeping the tissue in place and also helps reduce swelling
Healing takes about a couple of weeks  time, depending on the person s overall health status and the extent of surgery.
Excisive surgery:

This is done when the extent of gynecomastia is more severe
These people would have sagging, stretched skin around the breast area
More amount of fat and glandular tissue can be removed through excision
This is more often done under general anaesthesia
The incision is often done around the areala (dark portion around the nipple) so it is concealed or along the natural creases which are formed due to excessive breast tissue
Excessive breast tissue is removed and the incisions are closed
There could be swelling, pain, bruising, and higher chances of post-surgical infections
Recovery will take about ten days to two weeks
Refraining from exercise is often advised for up to 2 weeks
Benefits:

Restore a masculine appearance
Shorter surgery
Faster recovery
Minimal or invisible scars
Almost immediate results that can be dramatic
Improved confidence and self-image
After the surgery:

Surgery is definitely a sure way to remove the male breast tissue, it is almost a permanent treatment for this condition.
It is very important to get a trained, experienced surgeon for the procedure
It is important to follow post-op instructions including pain management, infection control, and recovery
If it was caused by use of steroids or obesity, lifestyle modification is essential to prevent recurrence

Enlarged Breasts In Men - Surgery At Your Rescue!

One of the most common cosmetic procedures performed in the world today is that of breast augmentation or reduction. This is a fairly common surgery wherein depending on the requirement of the patients; the breasts are either made bigger with the help of implants or reduced in size by excising fat and tissue. Although a majority of these patients are female, there are an increasing number of male patients, who opt for male breast surgery as well.
The need for male breast surgery-
The requirement for male breast surgery arises due to the occurrence of Gynecomastia or the development of male breasts. In this condition, fat and glandular tissues are stored within the male chest in the pattern of female breasts, thus giving it a feminine look. This is a common occurrence among men and can be a cause of social embarrassment for the man as well as affecting his self esteem. Some of the causes for gynecomastia or male breasts would be  
Excessive Weight Gain.
Hormonal changes within the body where testosterone levels drop due to conditions such as  Hypogonadism  (in men, the inability of the testicle s to function correctly) and estrogen levels increase.
Medications used to treat other disorders such as certain anti -depressants, cancer medication, and anti-anxiety medications among others.
Excess consumption of alcohol and certain drugs.
Hyperthyroidism (excess thyroid secretion by the thyroid gland).
It isn t always just fat!
While many people tend to blame male breasts due to the accumulation of fat, this may not be the case always. Even skinny or people with an athletic build may notice misshapen chest that has more of a feminine appearance and thus would like to correct that. This is obviously caused by hormonal factors and genetics of body shape as well rather than just being obese or overweight.
Types of Male Breast Surgery-
Male breast surgery revolves around breast reduction and contouring to give it a more flat and toned look. This can be achieved in either of these ways:
Liposuction   This is a fairly common procedure and is minimally invasive; meant to suck out the fat through a small opening on the skin. With the help of liposuction, doctors can easily contour your chest to have a more masculine look by removing the excess fat. This procedure is a very popular one as it takes less time to recover and also isn t invasive. However, this is used as an option for male breast surgery when the problem isn t acute.
Surgery to remove excess tissues and fat   If the male breasts have excessive glandular tissue and the problem is acute, a more extensive form of surgery wherein the glandular tissue is excised may be required. However, this is also not very invasive and you can get back to your regular routine within a few days after surgery.


Male Breast Surgery

Swollen breast tissues in men or boys caused by hormonal (testosterone and estrogen) imbalances is called gynecomastia. Both breasts or one breast, can be affected by gynecomastia. At any point in life, from birth to puberty, even in adulthood, you might develop gynecomastia. Most of the times, gynecomastia is caused by hormonal imbalances, but there might be some underlying causes as well.
Gynecomastia is normally not a serious condition, but it can be difficult to deal with the pain and embarrassment.

It can be cured with surgery or medication, if it doesn't go away on its own.

Symptoms and signs of gynecomastia include:

Enlarged glands in the breast tissue
Tenderness in the breast
The causes that trigger gynecomastia include:

Hormonal changes: Testosterone and estrogen control the sexual development in men and women respectively. Estrogen is not a hormone that only women produce; men produce it too. When the production of testosterone and estrogen are thrown out of balance, gynecomastia occurs.
Medication: Certain medications such as anabolic steroids, androgens, HIV/AIDS medicines, antibiotics and chemotherapy can cause gynecomastia.
Drugs and alcohol: Substances such as alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, heroin and methadone cause gynecomastia.
Health condition: Certain factors, such as aging, hypogonadism (hormonal disorder), hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), tumors, kidney failure, cirrhosis, liver failure, malnutrition and starvation can lead to gynecomastia.
Herbal products: Essential oils derived from plants such as lavender or tea tree, used in lotions or shampoos, have weak estrogenic actives. They have been said to cause gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia can be cured either with medication or surgery. Surgical options for gynecomastia are, however, limited.

Treatment

There is no definitive medical treatment. The main answer for Gynecomastia is -SURGERY. It is a daycare procedure in most situations. It is done by a Surgeon, usually, a Plastic surgeon does a better job. 

Anesthesia- Either Local or General anesthesia is given to make it painless. 

Procedure-Through a small incision in the areola, the swelling is removed by both Liposuction of the Fat part and Excision (removal) for Breast gland part. As the incision is through the areola, the final scar is hardly visible. In extensive swellings, skin also needs to be removed, where in a scar around the areola border is visible. 

Recovery- usually can go back to work in 2-3 days time.

Treating Gynecomastia (Enlarged Breasts in Men) With Surgery

Gynecomastia is a condition where the tissues of the breasts swell in a boy or men. This is caused by the imbalance of testosterone and oestrogen. It might affect one or both the breasts depending on the level of hormonal imbalance. Although not considered as a serious condition, Gynecomastia can be a difficult condition to cope up with. There are multiple treatment options and surgery is one of them. In many cases, this condition goes as abruptly as it appeared. For cases that are complicated and difficult to get rid of, doctors suggest a medical procedure get rid of the condition.


Symptoms of Gynecomastia:
Some common symptoms of Gynecomastia include tenderness of breasts, swollen breast gland, pain in the breasts, discharge from the nipple etc.


Causes of Gynecomastia:
There could be many causes of this disease. If the condition is witnessed in babies, it could well come from the mother due to an overdose of oestrogen. Gynecomastia also appears during puberty resulting in the breast to swell up. The condition can again crop up after the age of 50 due to hormonal changes.
Certain medications can be a reason of Gynecomastia. Some of the common medications include certain antibiotics, anti-anxiety related medications, chemotherapy shots, HIV patients receiving HAART, cardiovascular medications such as Lanoxin, anabolic steroids etc.
Certain drugs such as heroin, alcohol, methadone, marijuana, Amphetamines etc.
Certain health conditions such as hypogonadism, hyperthyroidism, liver cirrhosis, ageing, certain tumours, failure of the kidney malnutrition etc.


Risk Factors Of Gynecomastia-
Certain risk factors of gynecomastia include older age, use of certain steroids, adolescence and other medical conditions such as Klinefelter's syndrome, tumour related to hormonal fluctuation and disease related to thyroid.
Diagnosis:
A doctor typically checks the history of drugs along with the health condition of the patient. He might also take a look at the health of the extended family. A careful tissue evaluation of the genitals, breast and abdomen are done. This is followed by a physical exam followed by prescribing certain tests such as mammograms, complete blood work, CT scan, biopsy of the tissue, MRI scan etc.


Treatment:
Most people suffering from Gynecomastia see a significant regression with periodic treatment. If however the condition arises from an underlying cause such as cirrhosis and malnutrition, a doctor suggests 2 option- medications and surgery:


Medications: Certain medications that are known to be helpful for breast related cancers are known to be effective in this condition. Some common examples of these drugs include evista, arimidex and soltamox.
Surgery: Only after exploring all medical options a doctor suggests surgery. There are 2 procedures namely mastectomy and liposuction. The latter removes the fat cells of the breast and the former removes the breast gland tissue.     


Gynecomastia - Is Surgery The Best Option?

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