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

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

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!

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
a) Enlarged glands in the breast tissue
b) Tenderness in the breast

The causes that trigger gynecomastia include
1. 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.
2. Medication: Certain medications such as anabolic steroids, androgens, HIV/AIDS medicines, antibiotics and chemotherapy can cause gynecomastia.
3. Drugs and alcohol: Substances such as alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, heroin and methadone cause gynecomastia.
4. 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.
5. 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. The two surgical options for gynecomastia include:
a) Liposuction: Liposuction only removes the fat from the breast, not the breast gland tissue. It has fewer complications, there is limited or zero blood loss and there is less distortion of the nipple.
b) Mastectomy: Mastectomy removes the gland tissues in the breast. The surgery uses minimal incisions to remove the gland tissue. Also, it involves less time to recover.

Treating Gynecomastia With Surgery

Gynecomastia is a condition characterized by enlargement of the breast tissue in men. It occurs when there is an imbalance of the testosterone (male sex hormone) and estrogen (female sex hormone) in the body. It may a cause of embarrassment in men.
Causes:
The primary cause for this condition is increase in the level of estrogen in comparison with testosterone in the male body. Testosterone controls male characteristics such as body hair and muscle mass. Estrogen is responsible for controlling female characteristics such as breast enlargement. 
Men usually produce small quantities of estrogen in their body to maintain certain sexual functions. Complications occur when estrogen levels in the male body increase too much in proportion to testosterone.
The condition can be classified as follows:
1. Gynecomastia in infants:  Half of the infants are usually born with large breasts due to their mother's estrogen. The effect tends to wear of in a few weeks.
2. Gynecomastia during puberty: Gynecomastia occurs during puberty due to changes in hormones. The condition goes away without any treatment in six months to 1 year.
3. Gynecomastia in men: This condition may peak in men during the age of 50-80. Statistics show that at least 1 out of 4 men in this age group have this condition.

Some other causes for this condition in middle aged men are as follows:
1. Heart medications
2. Anti-anxiety drugs
3. Antibiotics
4. Chemotherapy
5. Medications that are used to treat heartburn
6. Smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol 

Treatments:
1.        If the cause of the condition is medications, then discontinuing the medicines should stop the effects. It can also be treated by taking medicines to reduce estrogen levels in the body. 
2.        Surgery is another option where an incision is made in the chest area and the extra breast tissues are removed from the area. This also requires repositioning of the nipple in the chest. 
3.        Post-surgery, you should stick to a proper and healthy lifestyle to retain the new shape of the chest area. Weight gain or taking steroids can cause the symptoms of this condition to reappear.


Causes and Treatment of Gynecomastia

Introduction 

The common male problem in an Aesthetic clinic, Gyanecomastia, is truly Pseudogynaecomastia with only fatty tissue and minimal glandular tissue. The condition is a part of the co existing Obesity disorder and is rarely, a standalone entity. The treatment options shall include an approach to answer the issue of obesity as a whole, not rest contented with surgical removal of the enlarged breasts alone. What is seen and what is treated is just a tip of the iceberg. 

Gynaecomastia, an innocuous condition, that affects 35-70% of male population immediately after birth, during adolescence and old age is rarely brought to notice as the sufferer makes all attempts to hide it as the condition brings with it a sense of shame and pain in public places and mental suffering. Herein starts the search for the treatment. Medical and multifaceted surgical options evolved over centuries with the current opinion being fat removal by anyone form of liposuction and the gland removal by direct excision. Gynaecomastia, is increased breast tissue in males composed of glandular and fatty tissue. 

Physiological gynaecomastia of puberty that normally regresses with age tend to stay back being sustained by the modern lifestyle changes. Processed foods and environmental pollution of air and water, the cosmetics used on the body like deo odorants, perfumes and toiletries, synthetics and chemicals have contributed to explosions of generalised obesity. With this generalised obesity, the tendency to hold back excess fat in the breast developed. This clearly shows the reason for higher incidence of (pseudo) Gynaecomastia of late. Hormonal imbalance due to reasons stated above, aggravate the situation. Gynaecomastia is part of the generalised obesity and it is more fat and little gland. 
However, this condition does not have any harmful effect on the body, but it can cause distress emotionally. Men may lose their self-confidence and they can be psychologically affected by this.

What Causes Gynaecomastia?

It is a type of hormonal imbalance that results in the growth of the male breast tissues. The ratio of oestrogen v/s androgens gets altered and causes the enlargement of the breasts. For this condition to occur, the amount of oestrogen increase in the body, or the amount of testosterone drops. Sometimes it can be the combination of both.

There are certain diseases that may contribute to gynaecomastia and they are as follows:

Kidney diseases

Liver disease

Drop in testosterone levels

Certain medications such as methadone, medications for HIV or treating prostate cancer

Certain tumours caused in male sex organs such as cancer of the Leydig cells or the Sertoli cells resulting in deprivation of androgen levels

Conclusion: 
True Gynaecomastia that requires surgical treatment is not so uncommon. What is commonly believed to be gynaecomastia is truly Pseudo gynaecomastia with a co exiting clinical picture of obesity, high BMI, sedentary life and wrong lifestyle. Surgical treatment by laser liposuction under Tumescent Anaesthesia gives very good results with high patient satisfaction and negligible post operative complications. Gland fragmented with laser can be extricated thro  same entry point without sub areolar incision.

Gynaecomastia (Enlarged Breasts In Men): Causes and Treatments

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