While breast implant and enhancement surgeries are gaining popularity with women all over the world, men are also becoming more interested in having breast surgery performed. Yet, men are looking for the opposite effect - they want a breast reduction.

It may surprise you to learn that many men suffer from a condition known as gynecomastia, or an enlargement of the breasts. Some experts estimate that this affects as many as 40 to 60 percent of men at some time during their lives, with most episodes occurring during puberty and adolescence.

Most boys see this condition disappear after just a few months, but for some the deformity sticks around. For obvious reasons, this can be very embarrassing. It can make men very uncomfortable going shirtless at the beach or the pool or even in intimate relations. Self-confidence often suffers as a result of gynecomastia, which makes breast reduction by a competent, qualified plastic surgeon an excellent option.

What Causes Gynecomastia?

Gynecomastia is not necessarily related to being overweight with extra fat around the mammaries, although that can be the cause. It is actually a condition that is often the result of hormonal imbalances. Yet there are a lot of other causes as well. These include the use and abuse of steroids, the growth of tumors in the tissue, chronic liver disease, syndromes like Gilbert’s and Klinefelter, castration and certain genetic disorders.

Gynecomastia can also result as a side effect of many medications, especially drugs that either increase estrogen or reduce testosterone levels in the body. Things like tricylyc antidepressants, marijuana, alcohol, and heroin have been known to cause this condition in some males as well.

If the problem stems from the use of medicine or drug abuse or obesity, changes in medication or other lifestyle alterations may be the solution but in all other situations plastic surgery is the only way to correct the problem.

What Does Breast Reduction Surgery Involve?

The preparations for this surgery will include finding a good plastic surgeon, providing him or her with a full medical history. Sometimes the plastic surgeon will require breast X-rays to be taken to get the best picture of the underlying fat and tissue positioning.

Gynecomastia patients going in for surgery should be relatively healthy, mentally stable individuals, and it usually a requirement that patients quit smoking at least two weeks before the operation.

The procedure is performed as the plastic surgeon makes a discreet incision around the areola or in the arm pit. The surgeon then uses a liposuction cannula to remove the excess fatty tissues, after which the patient is sewn back up, sometimes with a small drain left in the incision to allow excess fluids to escape in the next few days.

After the operation, the plastic surgeon will bandage the incision and wrap the chest tightly in some dressings to help with the healing process. The first few days post-surgery for gynecomastia patients will usually involve some bruising, swelling, and pain, but these can be managed with ice packs and prescribed pain medication.

After the recovery, breast reduction patients experience great satisfaction and often a restoration of self confidence as they no longer have to worry about embarrassingly large breasts!

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