Male Breast Reduction: What is the operation?
WHERE YOUR SURGERY WILL BE PERFORMED
Surgery for gynecomastia is most often performed as an outpatient procedure. Most commonly it is performed at the Surgery Center of Cedar Rapids. The surgery itself usually takes one to two hours to complete.
- “I have to wear two layers of clothes to hide this embarassing look.”
Correction of enlarged male breasts may be performed under general, or in some cases, under local anesthesia plus sedation. Under a local, you'll be awake, but very relaxed and insensitive to pain. More extensive correction may be performed under general anesthesia, which allows the patient to sleep through the entire operation. Dr. Grado will discuss which option is best for you.
The Operation
If excess glandular tissue is the primary cause of the breast enlargement, it will be excised, or cut out, with a scalpel. The excision may be performed alone or in conjunction with liposuction. In a typical procedure, an incision is made in an inconspicuous location--either on the edge of the areola or in the under arm area. Working through the incision, Dr. Grado removes the excess glandular tissue, fat and skin from around the areola and from the sides and bottom of the breast. Major reductions that involve the removal of a significant amount of tissue and skin may require larger incisions that result in more conspicuous scars. If liposuction is used to remove excess fat, the cannula is usually inserted through the existing incisions.
If your gynecomastia consists primarily of excessive fatty tissue, liposuction may be able to remove the excess fat. A small incision, less than a half-inch in length, is made around the edge of the areola--the dark skin that surrounds the nipple. Or, the incision may be placed in the underarm area. A slim hollow tube called a cannula which is attached to a vacuum pump, is then inserted into the incision and then passed back an forth to remove unwanted fatty tissue.
In extreme cases where large amounts of fat or glandular tissue have been removed, skin may not adjust well to the new smaller breast contour. In these cases, excess skin may have to be removed to allow the removing skin to firmly re-adjust to the new breast contour.
Sometimes, a small drain is inserted through a separate incision to draw off excess fluids. Once closed, the incisions are usually covered with a dressing. The chest may be wrapped to keep the skin firmly in place.