Gynecomastia is a change in the male breast that causes it to enlarge abnormally. Although gynecomastia does not pose any risk to a man’s physical health, this alteration can cause serious damage to his mental health. Men with gynecomastia can develop complexes and condition their social life, avoiding simple activities such as playing sports or going to the beach.
In cases where there is an abnormal breast enlargement, it is essential to understand whether gynecomastia actually exists, or whether we are dealing with the so-called pseudogynecomastia or false gynecomastia.
False gynecomastia or pseudogynecomastia occurs when there is excess fat accumulated around the mammary gland. As there is no abnormal breast enlargement, only excess fat, there is no gynecomastia. In these cases the treatment is quite simple and involves liposuction of the area.
When there is an abnormal development of breast tissue that becomes visible or palpable, the solution is a surgical intervention that consists of removing the breast tissue. This surgery can be associated with liposuction, if there is also surrounding fat.
The diagnosis between the two types of gynecomastia is made through clinical examination and ultrasound.
About 80% of the men who refer chest changes only have excess fat in the area and, therefore, the solution is liposuction. In these cases, an incision of less than one centimeter is made in the armpit to introduce a cannula through which all the fat accumulated in the chest area is aspirated.
In cases of gynecomastia, the objective is to eliminate the glandular tissue that is located between the nipple and the pectoral muscle. In these cases, an incision is made around the middle of the nipple or through the armpit to remove the enlarged mammary gland, and in some cases, liposuction can also be used to remove some of the surrounding fat.
In both cases there is high patient satisfaction, as the scars are completely imperceptible and small and the results are completely effective. And in addition to the physical results, there are also improvements in mental health since, as a rule, the patient stops having complexes and goes back to playing sports and going to the beach or pool calmly.
If the enlarged mammary gland or just the excess fat is removed, the surgery is performed under general anesthesia or sedation. Liposuction takes approximately 30 minutes to be performed and Gynecomastia lasts approximately 2 hours.
In this type of surgery, the appearance of hematomas, ecchymoses (bruises) or swelling in the postoperative period is very common, which is why elastic compression of the area is mandatory immediately after surgery and for 1 month. The drains are removed on the 2nd postoperative day, when the lymphatic drainage begins, which lasts the time necessary for the total recovery of the area.
After 4 days of surgery, you will be able to resume your normal social and work life, however you will only be able to resume physical exercise and efforts after 1 month.
Finally, as in all interventions, prior medical examinations are mandatory to detect problems that may prevent the surgery from being carried out, with a prior breast ultrasound being of utmost importance.