Age 24: Gynecomastia/Breast Reduction
This is a 24 year old young man who recently lost 40 pounds and complained of fullness in his chest and “puffy” nipples. He said it has been present since puberty. On examination, he had fullness in the chest area that felt like fatty tissue as well as a localized area of firmer, rubbery tissue that I felt was breast tissue.
He is seen here after liposuction of the chest as well as removal of about 20 grams of actual breast tissue beneath the areolas. These photos are five months after his procedure. His healing has been smooth and natural looking.
Age: 24 Gynecomastia/Breast Reduction
This is a patient who has had gynecomastia since puberty. This condition refers to breast tissue in the male chest. He freely admits that this condition has been quite troublesome for him in all areas of his life. He underwent excision of the tissue through a small incision along the border of his areola.
He is seen here at four months post operation. Note the flattening in his breast area and the improvement in the appearance in his nipple-areola complex. This procedure has been transformational for this young man for obvious reasons.
Age: 26 Gynecomastia/Breast Reduction
This patient had a previous gynecomastia procedure performed elsewhere and complained of asymmetry and residual breast tissue (greater on the right side). Upon examination, there was evidence of breast tissue on the right side and mostly fat remaining on the left side. To obtain the most symmetrical result, we performed liposuction on both sides and a large tissue removal on the right side only. The “after” photographs were taken at six months post-operatively. Areas of palpable firmness and dimpling of the skin have improved on the right side with time and massage. Most cases of gynecomastia require the combination of both liposuction and tissue removal. The incisions are typically around the areola border. It takes up to a year for the scars to soften.
The last set of photographs actually shows the tissue that was removed from the right breast. Note that the white colored tissue is actually breast tissue that can only be removed with surgery and not simply liposuction.
Age: 26 Gynecomastia/Breast Reduction
This is the same patient as above. He had a previous procedure done elsewhere and then came to me complaining of asymmetry and excess tissue on the right side. I was fortunate to see him in the office recently because he wanted to show me how things have changed and thought I would appreciate some new photos for the website.
I had no idea what I was in for. These four photos show him over time. The first photo was his preoperative. The second was a photo at two months after surgery, the third at four months and the fourth at two years.He lost twenty pounds from the first to the last photograph. He said that I should tell my patients that it takes almost two years for the healing to be complete. Diet and exercise has helped him lose the weight. It’s an amazing improvement and he should be very proud!
What can we take home from his case? It takes longer than you would think to fully recover from a gynecomastia procedure that involves tissue reduction. Liposuction alone heals much faster but will still take months for all the swelling to go away. When tissue removal is performed, it takes a lot longer, fluid will form after the procedure for several weeks and require periodic removal with a small needle and induration or hard healing tissue will be present for up to two years. This may need massage and occasional steroid injections to help soften. Another wonderful lesson is the power of weight loss and exercise in its ability to shape the body. There is only so much I can do at surgery. Sometimes to really obtain those “fantastic” results it up to the patient to make it happen. Getting well is sometimes all about giving it time. The recovery from this procedure, not unlike many other plastic surgery procedures, takes time so be patient and learn that wonderful improvements can come to those who wait.
Age: 25 Gynecomastia/Breast Reduction
This patient complained of fullness on his chest and areola (gynecomastia). He did not like the way his chest appears in T-shirts and especially did not like the fullness in the areola. He rarely (if ever) would be seen without a shirt. Upon exam, he had fullness below the nipple areola complex and an accumulation of asymmetrical fat around the chest area. He had used anabolic steroids.
We performed liposuction of the chest as well as removal of breast tissue about the nipple areola. He is seen in these post-operative photos after gaining 12 pounds and working-out several times a week. Note the shape improvement of his chest with a more sculpted, natural appearance and improved definition of his muscle.
Age: 27 Gynecomastia/Breast Reduction
This man developed gynecomastia caused by Propecia use. Propecia is a product used for hair loss in men. There is a 2% incidence of gynecomastia with use of this product. We performed liposuction and direct tissue removal to reduce the fullness and flatten his chest. Note the dramatic improvement in his chest area.
