Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia refers to male breast surgery. The majority of cases have an unknown cause, and despite being a source of embarrassment for many it's rarely discussed. The presence of this breast tissue causes them to be self-aware of their chests and leads them to avoid wearing tighter T-shirts or going bare-chested at the beach
The problems can affect teenagers as well as pensioners. It can be triggered by certain medications, steroids, and illicit drugs as well as medical conditions such as liver disease and certain cancers.
The breast tissue can be fibrous(glandular), fatty or mixture of both. In addition to this, there may be an excess of skin that needs to be excised. During the consultation, a full assessment will be made and the appropriate treatment plan made
What is Gynecomastia Surgery?
Gynaecomastia Surgery is performed under general anesthetic
It does not involve an overnight hospital stay and you will be able to go home the same day
If the problem is mainly fat, then liposuction alone will be sufficient to remove the excess tissue. The incisions will be hidden under the armpit and in the areola.
If the issue is a mainly fibrous gland, then an incision will be made on the lower aspect of the areola and the gland removed.
A combination of fibrous and fatty breast tissue will require an approach that includes both liposuction and direct excision of the gland
The approach to managing excess skin will depend on how much skin excess there is. For most cases of skin excess, an incision around the nipple and removal of skin in the shape of a doughnut ring is sufficient. If the skin excess is more significant then a more radical skin excision will be required leaving a longer scar and the replacement of the nipple to its original position as a skin graft
In each operation, Dr. Faisal will be mindful of not removing too little or too much gland. Of this procedure is performed by inexperienced hands then the visible signs of under and overcorrection are all too obvious
What Is The Recovery Following Gynecomastia Surgery?
Following the procedure, you will awaken with a compression garment around your chest. The dressings underneath the garment will be minimal unless there has been asking graft of the nipple, in which case the nipples will have a small piece of sponge protecting each one
Gynaecomastia surgery is not particularly painful. This is because the surgery does not involve injury to the muscle, and staying in the superficial layers of the chest is less painful. Pain killers used during the procedure will limit the amount of pain you will feel. Liposuction can be a little bit more painful that excision alone, but this is well tolerated
You will be discharged home later that day, with antibiotics and pain killers
Most patients are surprised at how little the surgery impedes their normal life.
You can shower with the dressings on as long as you dry them with a hairdryer on a low heat afterward.
Dr. Faisal will review you at 1 week. This will be to review the wound in most cases, and also to perform a graft check on the nipple if this has been performed
Dr. Faisal will then review you again at 2 weeks and 6 weeks
Patients are normally back at work within 3 days
Dr. Faisal normally recommends avoiding the gym for 3-4 weeks
The compression garment will have to be worn for 6 weeks. This is to minimise the swelling
How Can I Prepare For The Procedure?
Taking Arnica Tablets one week leading up to procedure can help reduce the bruising
Smoking is detrimental to wound healing. Stop smoking 3 weeks before the operation
Dr. Faisal will only operate on patients with a BMI< 32
If you are taking blood-thinning tablets such as aspirin, warfarin, and Plavix, they will need to be stopped 1 week before the procedure
Medical problems such as Diabetes will cause wound healings, so Dr. Faisal will need to be notified
Medications such as steroids can cause wound healing problems, so Dr. Faisal will need to be informed so that an appropriate regimen can be tailored
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