What is it?
Gynecomastia is a common disorder, which can affect teenage boys, newborns or even adult men. Affected men have noticeably enlarged chests, which is caused by excess fat accumulating in the area or hypertrophy of glandular tissue. Both causes can also occur simultaneously (mixed gynecomastia). The disorder occurs due to hormonal changes caused by puberty, or due to a hormonal imbalance during which the body has excess estrogens. Usually, gynecomastia disappears without any help, because the body manages to balance out the hormonal environment. If it does not pass naturally and the enlarged chest is causing distress or dysphoria, it is worth to consider surgery.
Surgery info
Depending on the cause of the disorder, appropriate treatment is selected. It may involve the removal of excess fat (by liposuction) or the surgical removal of hypertrophied glandular tissue. In the case of mixed gynecomastia, both methods are applied simultaneously.
The surgery itself will take place in a sterilized operating room in a private clinic, where the patient is going to remain under the care of a qualified surgeon, certified nurses and an anaesthetist. Performing the procedure involves the implementation of a few small incisions, which allows to either remove excess fat or the glandular tissue. In most cases, gynecomastia treatment does not take longer than two hours.
The procedure is performed under intravenous (sedation) or general (intrathecal) anaesthetics.
Post-operative guidelines
First and foremost, the patient must remember to take medications prescribed by the doctor as well as to follow his post-procedure recommendations (provided after the surgery, together with a discharge letter from the clinic). Guidelines also include wearing compression garments (if recommended) and avoiding any physical activity for a period specified by the doctor. Dressings at the incision site should be regularly replaced and the area itself should be gently massaged and checked for any worrisome changes. Some patients may need an additional consultation with the doctor upon returning home. Removal of excess fluid accumulated in the operated area (so-called “puncture” or “drainage”) might also be required.