3 Things You Need To Know About Gynecomastia Surgery
Men who have excessive amounts of fat around their chest region may suffer from a condition known as gynecomastia that causes the enlargement or excessive development of male breast tissue. Though some occurrences of gynecomastia resolve on their own without treatment, other cases may require plastic surgery to re-contour the body and minimize the appearance of your breasts. Here's what you need to know about gynecomastia surgery.
It's Important to Treat Any Underlying Conditions Prior to Surgery
If you have an underlying condition that is causing excessive growth of your breast tissue, it's important to seek treatment before proceeding with surgery. One common cause of gynecomastia is an insufficient amount of hormones. Returning the hormone levels to healthy ranges can stop the overproduction of male breast tissue and help the existing breast tissue to become smaller in size.
An infection of the male breast tissue can also cause swelling that promotes the appearance of male breasts. Treating the infection typically returns the breasts to a normal size. There are also some medications that have the growth of male breast tissue as a potential side effect. Stopping the medication will usually reverse the growth of your breast tissue. Unfortunately, this may not be an option if there are no suitable medications for you to replace your existing prescription with.
However, many cases of gynecomastia have no contributing factors. Your doctor can make sure that any potential causes have been examined and treated or dismissed.
There Are Two Common Ways to Complete the Procedure
There are a couple different ways for your surgeon to complete the gynecomastia surgery. The best option will depend on the size of your breasts and your preference regarding the procedure.
If your doctor recommends a mastectomy, the surgeon will remove your breast gland tissue. Though this option will remove the majority of your breasts, it may not be sufficient if you have large amounts of additional fatty tissue around the chest area. However, this is a fairly non-invasive procedure with a shorter recovery period.
Lipsosuction of the breast region is a more invasive alternative that removes the fat cells from the chest area and leaves the breast glands in tact. However, this option has a longer recovery period.
Another option is to start with a mastectomy and see if you're pleased with the results from that operation. If you're not happy with the results, you can schedule liposuction for a more dramatic effect. For more information, reach out to surgical offices like Lett Plastic Surgery.
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