What is male breast enlargement and why does it occur?
Male breast enlargement, technically known as Gynecomastia is a disorder often observed in the form of enlargement in male breast tissues. There are various causes of gynecomastia, puberty, hormonal imbalance, excess weight gain, and consumption of anabolic steroids are some of them.
Gynecomastia can be mainly observed during the puberty period, where hormonal surges can cause temporary male breast enlargement, but these reside over the years and become normal. But sometimes the breast tissues fail to shrink even after puberty, and the breasts remain enlarged causing the gynecomastia condition.
Getting rid of this condition is said to be pretty easy, you can either choose to go with the surgery, often termed as male breast reduction surgery or gynecomastia surgery, or choose other alternatives such as medication, radiofrequency or laser treatments.
Things to keep in mind before the gynecomastia surgery
Before you appear for this kind of surgery, you must take care of a few things so that no complications arise during the procedure.
Complete medical evaluation – Before the surgery, it is advised that the patient should get a complete medical evaluation done to ensure that there are no hidden factors inside the body. A complete medical evaluation confirms that the patient is suffering from gynecomastia only and there are no chances of male breast cancer.
Avoid smoking, drugs, or supplements – Refrain from smoking, consumption of anabolic steroids or drugs, and the use of herbal supplements at least a week before the surgery to take place. All of this to ensure that the procedure goes smooth and no complications arise during the male breast reduction surgery.
Avoid medication – Stop any kind of medication that might increase the risk of bleeding. Unwanted medications tend to cause complications during or after the male breast reduction surgery and might affect the recovery too.
Gynecomastia surgery
Common symptoms that gynecomastia involves are lumps over the breasts area of the with the inclusion of an excessive number of fatty cells. During the male breast reduction surgery, these lumps and breast tissues are surgically removed using various techniques. First, the removal of excess fat cells is done by the use of a surgical procedure termed liposuction. Next, the removal of excess breast tissue is initiated through an incision in the area of the nipple-areolar complex, mostly towards the margin.
Recovery after gynecomastia surgery
The recovery period after a male breast reduction surgery varies from patients to patients. This mainly depends upon the type of surgery that the patient underwent. For those who only removed the excess fat cells in their breasts through liposuction, patients can easily return to their work, do exercises or perform daily routines by the end of the first week after the surgery.
For those, who went through surgical removal of their excess breast tissues, it might take up to two to four weeks for the area to heal properly. Only after this period is the patient recommended to take part in their daily activities.