A desire to avoid pain is human.
I do everything in my power to make your gynecomastia procedure as pain-free as possible. For the most part, patients find the recovery from liposuction and/or surgery for gynecomastia to be more uncomfortable than painful.
However, pain is personal. Some patients are genetically inclined to feel more discomfort while others may have anxiety around the issue. One of the many reasons why I spend so much time during our initial meetings asking you in-depth questions is to help determine where you fall on this spectrum.
Typically, I have patients take a combination of Tylenol and an anti-inflammatory for post-op recovery. A stronger pain medication would be available for discomfort for the first few days.
A primary stumbling block for many men when it comes to deciding on gynecomastia surgery is the scar.
Anytime that the skin is cut, it will leave an incision line. However, I do all that I can to make this line as inconspicuous as possible.
This begins during your consultation by inquiring into how your body healed from any prior surgeries or cuts. Some people are genetically inclined to develop more of a raised scar than others so this is something we want to know before getting in the OR.
Then, during surgery, I practice precise surgical techniques that place as little tension as possible on the surface of your skin which is one of the biggest contributing factors to a visible scar.
A typical incision for gynecomastia surgery is at the areola-skin juncture and is about 2-3 cm long. With it’s location and skin type, the incision generally heals quite well.
I am also upfront about how long it’s going to take for your incision line to fully resolve. It can take up to a year although most men achieve 80% of their healing by 3 months post-op.
There are also numerous scar reduction techniques that we can employ to speed up the process and/or help your body to heal more efficiently. These range from topical silicone gels to lasers to microneedling. All of these options will be discussed with you in detail before surgery.
Liposuction is a viable option for improving the appearance of gynecomastia if the fullness in your chest is only due to excess fat that is resistant to changes in diet and exercise.
While every man wants to achieve an ideal chest shape with liposuction alone, not all men are good candidates.
Generally, my approach with gynecomastia is a combination of liposuction to address stubborn fat and surgery to remove excess breast tissue and lift loose skin.
The only way to ensure that you are getting the right procedure for your individual anatomy, lifestyle and needs is to schedule an in-person consultation, preferably with a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon with considerable experience with gynecomastia.
Determining whether you are a better candidate for liposuction or a male chest reduction surgery requires me to conduct a thorough physical exam.
No. But the advantages are numerous.
When you see someone, such as myself, who is board-certified, you know that you are seeing a plastic surgeon who has undergone rigorous training and testing. It requires considerable time in practice to pass the boards so you can rest assured that you’re seeing a plastic surgeon with experience.
Furthermore, maintaining board certification requires on-going education so you know that this surgeon is someone who’s up-to-date in the latest techniques and innovations, and performs surgery in appropriate and accredited facilities.
All of these factors help ensure that you’re in the kind of capable hands to deliver a safe, exemplary gynecomastia result.
In general, I would say that most of my gynecomastia patients retain full nipple sensation after surgery.
However, if you are someone who has lost a massive amount of weight on a GLP 1, for example, and your nipples are not longer centered on your chest mound then I may need to lift them to a higher position. This could reduce some of the feeling.
I will go over all of these risks during your initial consultation.
Most men who fall into this category, however, are so happy with their lifted, smooth chest that any loss of feeling is worth the trade off.
The length of your recovery after a gynecomastia procedure is going to depend on what, exactly, we do to improve the appearance of your chest.
Liposuction alone will require 2-3 weeks of taking it easy while male chest reduction surgery may be longer.
With both options, you will need to wear a compression garment 24/7 for the first 3 weeks and then at least 12 hours a day for an additional 2 months.
Although I generally want my gynecomastia patients up and moving almost immediately post op, more moderate to severe workouts and all upper body work will need to be curtailed until I give the ok.
Chest activity can usually beign at weeks 4-6.
YES!
The compression garment is a mandatory component of your recovery from any gynecomastia procedure including liposuction.
It helps reduce swelling, which will limit your discomfort, promotes healing, and helps guarantee the great looking result that we both want.
It makes no sense to spend the time and money on a procedure if you are not willing to commit to the compression garment.
Liposuction alone for treating gynecomastia may be performed under local anesthesia, but male chest reduction surgery will require general anesthesia.
I only work with board-certified anesthesiologists or nurse anesthetists in an accredited surgery center as your safety is my number one concern.
Yes, drains may be needed.
They help decrease swelling during your postoperative course and help the skin and tissue settle down for a better outcome.
Drains may stay in for 2-5 days, sometimes less, sometimes more, and are removed in the office.
I understand the importance of working out for both mental and physical health.
But I also know first hand that when a patient ignores my directive and returns to the gym too soon, it can adversely affect their results.
Most patients are going to need to stay out of the gym for 2-3 weeks. Light walking is ok but no running or jumping. And I will probably have you avoid any upper body work for at least 4-6 weeks.
The recurrence rate after a gynecomastia procedure is generally low.
However, there are certain drugs such as marijuana, hair growth medication and anabolic steroids that could be the root cause of gynecomastia.
If this is the case with you, and you go back to using said drug then yes, you are going to run the risk of the fullness in your chest returning.
During your initial consultation and pre-op meetings, I will ask probing questions about your lifestyle. It is really important to be honest.
You may decide to have treatment and then go back to taking steroids, for example. As long as a patient knows the risks then it’s really a personal choice.
Furthermore, there are also certain medical conditions that require drugs for treatment that could be causing gynecomastia. In those cases, going off the drug is not an option, so recurrence is a calculated risk.
I am always very honest with m
If your weight fluctuates a few pounds, it is not going to impact your results.
However, if you gain or lose 10 lbs. or more, this could adversely affect your results.
Ideally, it’s best for you to be at a maintainable goal weight before surgery for exactly this reason.
While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to replace lost testosterone is not typically a cause of gynecomastia, anabolic steroids are.
If you have liposuction and/or surgery to treat your chest fullness and then return to taking steroids, there is a pretty high risk that your gynecomastia may return.
Generally, HRT to address low testosterone is not going to cause a gynecomastia recurrence.
It is, however, my recommendation to have your HRT cared for directly by an appropriate medical practitioner.
It is going to depend on how you heal, but generally, assume that you will need 7-10 days of no driving.
The latter is a more robust procedure that entails a longer incision.
It is generally for patients with severe gynecomastia or men who have lost a significant amount of weight, resulting in loose skin.
These patients require more work in order to rejuvenate their chest.
I generally like my patients to wait 2 weeks following a gynecomastia procedure before resuming sexual activity.
It’s important that you don’t jostle your incision line so that it heals as smoothly as possible.
This is also generally around the time that I allow a patient to return to some gym and cardio activities.
The best time to have your gynecomastia procedure is the one that suits your lifestyle.
Having said that, sunlight is not good for incision lines. So, if you want to go shirtless in order to show off your new smooth chest, it would be smart to have the procedure in the fall or early winter.
Also, wearing the compression garment in the heat of summer is not ideal for everyone.
The cost of treating your gynecomastia is going to depend on exactly what we do.
Liposuction alone ranges from $6,000 to $10,000 while a gynecomastia surgery will cost anywhere from $9,000 to $11,000.
An extended procedure will take longer in the OR and therefore cost more.
I understand that treating your gynecomastia may be a big investment money wise, and I pride myself on being very cost conscious and upfront as to the full price tag for your procedure.
I don’t want there to be any hidden costs so that you can budget and plan accordingly.
