Male Breast Reduction
The causes of gynecomastia (large breasts in men) are numerous and may dictate the treatment used. Gynecomastia develops in one or two patterns, either a firm button of tissue beneath the nipple, or a diffuse fatty change with poorly defined edges.
Sometimes both patterns are present. This condition is usually corrected by surgically removing excess breast tissue. Different methods can be used, and the type of surgery recommended depends on the pattern of the enlargement: Ultrasonic liposuction alone is helpful for removing the tissue and may avoid skin excision in many patients, and is now considered the treatment of choice. As an alternative, the most common traditional method is to remove excess tissue through an incision around the nipple. The incision extends out from the nipple at 3 and 9 o'clock. Additional liposuction is used to improve the contour or remove additional fat. The operation is performed under general anesthesia. Most of the time, this is an outpatient procedure and a stay in the hospital is not needed.
Like with any other surgical procedure, the risks of operation must be taken into consideration. The main risks are, as with and surgical procedure, swelling, bruising, bleeding, infection, scarring and numbness or change in feeling. Specific risks linked to this kind of procedure are surface irregularity and a change in shape or position of the nipple.
The recovery takes one to two weeks. Most people are back to work within a week or two.
