Knowledge

What is gynecomastia? For most people, this medical term might sound unfamiliar. However, when put simply, gynecomastia is one of the most common conditions in boys and men.

Gynecomastia is a condition of a man having enlarged breasts like a woman's.

If we look at the etymology of this term, it originates from the ancient Greek language "gyneco" meaning "woman" and "mastia" for "breast."

What are the causes of gynecomastia? Well, the abnormal increase in the number of breast glands, as well as the imbalance of male and female hormones (testosterone & estrogen), contribute to the formation of gynecomastia in men and boys.

Every man from infants, teenagers experiencing puberty, and even older men can have this condition. Gynecomastia may go away on its own with time when the normal balance of hormones can be achieved in teenagers.

Nonetheless, when this condition stars to appear in adults, that may cause psychological problems such as embarrassment, low self-esteem about their masculinity as well as physical ones, including pain, tenderness and, etc.

An important thing that one must remember is that gynecomastia is not a condition that is caused by obesity. The reason why breasts become enlarged is the excessive breast gland tissues, not excess fat.

What are the treatment options for gynecomastia? Gynecomastia in teenagers naturally improves by the time they turn into adults. However, it is not the case among older men. Therefore, more serious actions are to be taken to treat this condition.

Depending on the size of the enlarged breasts, the doctor might opt for the surgery. There are two types of surgeries that can improve gynecomastia: Liposuction and Mastectomy.

Which one should be performed, and how they differ from each other?

You may already know from my previous posts that liposuction is a surgical procedure removing the excess deposits of fat from the body.

Liposuction can remove only fat but not breast gland tissues. Therefore, the doctor might recommend Mastectomy, a type of breast reduction surgery through which breast gland tissues are removed. (Maste - "breast", "ectomy"- to remove).

How is Mastectomy surgery performed? The board-certified plastic surgeon of She's Plastic Surgery has a 20-year experience in plastic surgery. His method of dealing with gynecomastia is as follows.

First, he makes four small incisions of 1-2cm around the areola (the small colored area of the skin around the nipple) and removes the excess breast tissues along with some part of the mammary gland.

The surgery is administered under local anesthesia with IV sedation. The treatment period is 7~14 days. It depends on how fast the surgery site heals.

The stitch removal is between 1~2 weeks after the surgery. For more information, including price, pre and post-surgery care, you can refer to the link down below.