Gynecomastia

In a male, when the breasts become enlarged, this condition is known as Gynecomastia. However it isn’t a completely rare problem, with approximately 15% of adult men in the UK and even teenage boys suffering from this, interfering with their quality of life and causing serious psychological impacts.
Teenagers with this problem could be affected due to the changing level of sex hormones and in majority of the cases, 90% in fact, this will resolve over time.
For adult men however, this is not the case.
The only method to successfully resolve this would be a surgical solution. The enlarged breasts can be corrected or improved in a completely safe way through male breast reduction surgery.

When the body has accumulated excess fatty tissue in the breast region, the medical term for this is Pseudogynecomastia. Fortunately, diet and exercise can sometimes improve this and surgery may not be required.
If you have enlarged nipples, this indicates that the breast glands have similarly become enlarged.

There are several different reasons why your breasts could have enlarged. We have noted a number of these below:

Andropause:
This is a phase in a man’s life that can be compared to the menopause a women experiences. During this period, the production of male sex hormones, moreso testosterone, begin to decrease. This is usually occurs in middle aged men and can result in gynecomastia, hair loss, and insomnia.

Puberty:
A boy’s body will produce androgens, but occasionally it may also produce the female hormone, estrogen. When an increase of the latter occurs, the result can be gynecomastia. However this is usually temporary and subsides as hormone levels eventually rebalance.

Breast Milk:
Whilst drinking their mothers’ breast milk, infants can develop gynecomastia. As the hormone estrogen is present in breast milk, nursing babies may experience an increase in their levels of estrogen.

Drugs
Steriods, amphetamines, amongst other drugs can cause a slight increase in estrogen levels. The result can be gynecomastia.

Other Medical Conditions
Less common causes of gynecomastia include testicular tumors, liver failure (cirrhosis), hyperthyroidism, and chronic renal failure.

Your consultation will be conducted by our Surgeon, Dr Vlok, who will ensure whether he is able to meet your requirements and also if you are a good candidate for the surgery. He will also offer his own opinion to ensure you receive the best possible outcome. He will cover a range of topics to confirm whether proceeding with the surgery is appropriate. These will include any previous or present medical conditions, allergies, reasoning behind surgery etc. Photos may also be taken at the consultation.

If the patient has a dense glandular tissue which is causing the breast to appear large and the nipples puffy, a direct excision of the gland will be required. Dr Vlok will place a discreet incision in a small area around the nipple areola region of each breast. This will result in a minor inconspicuous scar. A combination of VASER Lipo and a glandular excision may need to be exercised if there is excess fat and dense glandular tissue requiring removal. This will be noted at your consultation.

For patients with excess fat in the chest area, VASER Lipo will be performed to remove, reshape and tighten the unwanted fat and skin, whilst sculpting the region to ensure a smooth, tight, toned and contoured chest is achieved.
We expect the overall time for the completion of the procedure to be around 45 minutes.

VASER Lipo offers a fantastic alternative to traditional liposuction. It is very effective at removing fatty deposits and can be carried out under local anaesthetic. There are very few side effects associated with this procedure and it is much safer than some other fat removal techniques. Another benefit of VASER Lipo treatment is that it requires minimal downtime and offers quicker recovery than traditional liposuction.

You will start to see the best results around three months after surgery. At that time, all the swelling should be gone.

The results from the gynecomastia surgery will stay with you as long as your weight stays right around where it’s at. If you gain weight, some of the weight gained may go back to the chest area.
This means a healthy diet and regular exercise is highly recommended to ensure the best possible outcome.

Following an Excision of the Male Breast Gland (Gynecomastia) procedure, Dr Vlok will advise and instruct you to wear a compression under-shirt garment. The length of time this garment will be worn is specific to the individual patient. Drains will be avoided and minimal post operative discomfort will be experienced. Daily activities can be resumed approximately a week following the procedure, as swelling diminishes.
If you’re an active gym goer, you can resume weight lifting exercises in approximately 2 weeks.

At your free consultation, Dr Vlok will provide you with an in-depth explanation on the procedure, where it will be performed and the results you should expect as well as answering any concerns you may have. The overall cost will be discussed at the consultation which takes into account the procedure and post op reviews. Garments and body massages will be an additional cost which will also be highlighted at the consultation. Please Contact Us to book today!