What is Gynecomastia?
• Gynecomastia is overdeveloped or enlarged breasts occurring in men. Gynecomastia can occur at any age. It can be caused by several factors, including certain medications, hormonal changes, genetic factor, or obesity.
• Many men with Gynecomastia experience emotional distress and decreased self-confidence. Some even avoid certain activities to hide their condition.
• Gynecomastia can occur on only one side (unilateral), or on both sides at the same time (bilateral).
• The first step in managing Gynecomastia is a thorough medical work-up to determine the underlying cause. This is usually done by your primary care doctor or an endocrinologist.
• If Gynecomastia is being caused by a medication, this medication may be stopped. If there is an underlying hormonal issue, there may be medical therapies to alter the hormone balance in your body.
• If it has been determined that there is no medically treatable cause, Gynecomastia surgery can be done to remove excess breast tissue. In some men, this can be accomplished through liposuction alone. In others, surgical excision of tissue is necessary. Sometimes, the areolar diameter needs to be made smaller as well.
• The ideal surgical candidate is otherwise healthy, a non-smoker, and is at a healthy, stable weight. Gynecomastia surgery is not a treatment for obesity.
• Some men have fairly localized extra breast tissue, without much extra skin. In these cases, liposuction may be the only treatment necessary to treat Gynecomastia.
• In others, the breast tissue is too dense for liposuction, and an incision must be made to directly excise it.
• If there is extra skin, and/or the areolas are too large, this can be corrected during surgery. Sometimes the scars can be hidden only around the areola, and other times a larger scar is necessary.
• At your custom consultation, Dr. Elkins-Williams will go over the pros and cons and help you decide the best operation for you.
Our team will:
• Ask about your goals and expectations
• Ask about your overall health, including other medical conditions, prior surgeries, medications and drug allergies.
• Ask specifically about what medical workup and/or treatment of any underlying cause of gynecomastia has been done
• Examine and measure your chest
• Take photographs
• You will have a detailed discussion with Dr. Elkins-Williams to determine your goals and realistic outcome of the surgery. Dr. Elkins-Williams will discuss all of your options and recommend a course of treatment
• Every man’s chestis different. Dr. Elkins-Williams is broadly trained in a wide variety of surgical techniques that he can adapt to each individual patient to deliver the very best results. During your consultation, Dr. Elkins-Williams will help you determine the right incisions and right techniques for your unique circumstances.
• Gynecomastia surgery typically requires about 3 hours to perform, but may be more or less depending on which specific techniques will be used. Usually, all sutures are underneath the skin and are absorbable.
• You will be put into a post-operative compression vest. At your first post-op visit, we will change your dressings and teach you any incision care required.
• You will have some pain and swelling immediately after surgery. Most patients don’t require pain medication for more than a couple of days. We encourage our patients to resume normal activities within a few days of surgery. You will need to hold off on aerobic exercise for at least 2 weeks after surgery; Dr Elkins-Williams will advise you when strenuous activity can be resumed.
• Results are noticeable immediately, but there will be some swelling right after surgery. This will gradually improve over a period of around 3 months to reveal the final result.
You will receive a surgical quote and any clearance forms required at your consultation. Should you decide to proceed, we will connect you with our patient care coordinator, Shannon Jones. At this time, you will select a procedure date and pay a $500.00 non-refundable booking fee to reserve this date. Once the surgery date is set, we schedule a pre-operative appointment two weeks prior to surgery.
At your pre-op, you will have ample time to discuss your upcoming procedure in great detail and have all your questions answered. We will review all pre- and post-operative care, prescribed medications, and any provisions we may give you for use pre- and post-surgery. You will review and sign the consent for surgery, and the balance will be due at the conclusion of this appointment.
Avoid blood thinning medications/supplements for two weeks prior to surgery. This includes any aspirin or aspirin-containing products as well as any anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen or naproxen (including Motrin, Aleve and Advil). Generally, you may take Tylenol (Acetaminophen). Avoid supplements such as Vitamin E, multi vitamins, and omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil and flax seed oil.) You will be given a complete list of medications/supplements to avoid at your pre-op. All these medications can contribute to bleeding problems following surgery and can increase the amount of bruising.
