What is Gynaecomastia?
Gynaecomastia is the development of breast tissue in males. It is a surprisingly common condition, and often goes unnoticed by the patient. In modern times where young men are keen on the gym and being muscular, gynecomastia often presents itself as the patient gets toned and more athletic. It typically starts early in life around the age of puberty or late teens. There are three main causes although the vast majority of cases that we see occur independently of any cause.
Use of bodybuilding steroids or cannabis, as well as testicular lumps, can all be responsible for the development of gynecomastia. Obesity can also be a cause but usually disguises the condition. Irrespective of the cause, once established, Gynecomastia cannot be treated medically or through diet and exercise.
What are the signs of gynocomastia?
Patients usually complain of a firm swelling behind the nipple which is more obvious after going to the gym. It can be made worse by exercise and loss of weight as the swelling becomes more noticeable. The swelling can feel soft or firm to the touch. It occasionally can be painful and can be unilateral or bilateral. There are often no other associated symptoms.
To discuss your gynaecomastia, we would need to examine you to see what type of tissue you have. The vast majority of cases are a combination of firm glandular tissue surrounded by some fatty padding that the body automatically puts down in order to support the gland. As a result, simple liposuction alone will only treat the fatty component and not the firm glandular element behind the nipple.
What is involved in a male breast reduction?
Here at Manchester Plastic Surgery we, as a standard, perform a combined approach where we make a small stab incision following the curve of the nipple allowing us to perform some liposuction of the fatty element. This is then followed under the same anaesthetic by a semi-circular incision under the nipple allowing us to remove the firm glandular element through a small scar which is well hidden once healed.
Depending on the degree of glandular tissue this may be performed under local anaesthetic but more commonly is performed under general anaesthetic. The operation can take anywhere between 30 minutes and two hours depending on the severity.
Will a male breast reduction scar?
In the majority of cases, the only scar that is left is a small semi-circular scar following the line between the nipple and the skin which is very well hidden. Your skin type may result in a scar that is red and visible for some time. Usually, however, scars fade and in the long term, become very hard to see.
In some more severe cases, there is excess skin which would tend to hang down if the procedure addresses only the removal of the fat and gland. We use a special technique called ‘quilting’. This creates multiple points of fixation between the skin and the deep pectoral muscle. This encourages the skin to contract uniformly and shrink back to fit the chest wall. This technique has proved very successful in cases where skin excision would otherwise normally be considered. Usually, patients would like to avoid the additional scars from skin excision and so the opportunity to quilt gives the best chance of minimal scarring and optimum skin contraction.
What are the risks of gynaecomastia?
Significant complications after the surgery are rare but mild complications include bruising swelling and scar formation. Scar formation is inevitable when we remove a pocket of tissue. The thickness and firmness of the scar will dictate the speed of recovery. We do everything we can to minimise the amount of scar formed. The quilting technique also helps in this regard. Having said that, there will inevitably be some scar and swelling and this may be noticeable from between the first two weeks all the way up to six months in some cases. Massage and return to activity can improve the scarring and swelling but it will inevitably take some time in all cases.
Loss of nipple sensation is also a potential complication which in many cases returns to normal. In some patients, however, this is not the case. Massage and time can improve the sensation following surgery, and the loss of sensation is an important consideration when choosing to go ahead.
Otherwise, male gynaecomastia reduction surgery is an operation with a high rate of satisfaction. The tissue removed is often significant and it is usually clear that no amount of exercise or diet would have treated it effectively. The firm gland tissue can only be effectively treated through surgical removal.
How do I arrange my male breast reduction?
If you think that this condition affects you then please do speak to a member of our experienced team. We are experienced in a number of techniques and can treat gynecomastia quickly and safely with minimal downtime. Most patients can return to normal life within two to three days. Gym and extreme physical exercise should be delayed for somewhere between two and four weeks depending on the degree of surgery.
If you are affected by this condition, please get in touch. Consultations are free and we can share with you our significant experience of how we treat this condition and the scars and results that you can expect.
