Correction of hypertrophied mammary gland – men

Gynecomastia, in other words an enlargement of mammary gland, can evolve any time from puberty to advanced maturity. Particularly for younger men, gynecomastia is often highly disturbing and can be associated even with severe mental alternations.

In adolescents between 13 and 17 years of age, mammary glands undergo changes producing an unnatural enlargement of breasts. In most males, gynecomastia on this stage of life is manifested as a flat, hardened and slightly sensitive swelling under the areola that usually fades away after 17th year of age.

Relatively rarely, these pubertal changes do not recede and, on the contrary, the glands grow significantly. In such case, the breasts often cause pain and their gynecomastia develops to its full. Quite understandably, the afflicted men become embarrassed and, particularly when young, they may tend to shun their peers mainly during summer months in order to avoid disagreeable regards

Clinically, three types of gynecomastia occur, distinguished by specific symptoms:

1. Enlarged gland without hardening of fat tissue in males with a normally developed genital and secondary sex characteristics.
2. The gland is enlarged and its hardening is further emphasized by an excessive amount of fat in its surrounding, which even grows into the gland. The breast acquires a feminine nature, including sagging when fat is more hardened. The boys concerned generally tend to be more obese with a normal or smaller external genital and less body hairs.
3. The so called pseudogynecomastia is not caused by an enlarged gland, but rather by the breast being surrounded by an excessive amount of subcutaneous fat. The boys concerned generally have a feminine figure with a broad fat layer around the entire body.

The cause of this enlargement of mammary gland or gynecomastia in males is mostly hormonal imbalance, but it can also accompany various diseases. Symptoms of gynecomastia may also appear when administering certain medications with undesirable side effects, such as impact on hormonal levels.

Getting rid of gynecomastia is often also interesting for men, in which the symptoms of gynecomastia appear in connection with bodybuilding and physical exercise. In such case, the cause is most frequently in side effects brought about by anabolic steroids, thanks to which our clinic often treats gynecomastia in bodybuilders.

The treatment of pubertal gynecomastia is based on medications; when such conservative therapy fails, a surgical removal of the enlarged mammary gland is necessary.

A gynecomastia surgery is also frequently required by adult men in a mature age, who become tired of permanent hiding of their feminine chest and who know that they will never reconcile with their gynecomastia. The surgery needs to be recommended by endocrinologist, sexologist or another specialized physician.

Prior to a gynecomastia surgery, it is necessary to undergo a mammology examination. From midnight before the surgery, the patient should not eat, drink and smoke. No cream or body lotion should be applied on the skin, the armpits should be shaven.

Surgery must be postponed in the case of acute acne, symptoms of eczema or skin fungus in the inframammary folds, as well as of an unfavourable overall health condition. Gynecomastia surgery is usually performed under general anaesthesia. Exceptionally, with a smaller scope of intervention, local anaesthesia can be used.

The details of the procedure are always decided depending on the specific patient's problem, with regard to the condition of his enlarged gland. Also the overall time required for the procedure corresponds to this, usually one to two hours are required. Up to the size of small woman breasts, the gland can be successfully removed using a small incision on the border of the areola, where the scar is nearly imperceptible. The same method can also be applied with larger breasts, however, sometimes it may be necessary to extend the incision by a perpendicular cut to the side of the breast.

Only exceptionally, with excessively large breasts, a complete breast reduction surgery is required. This intervention removes the entire gland and shifts the areolas out. The result of this type of surgery is then accompanied by scars resembling a reversed letter T.

The only temporary restriction for everyday life following a gynecomastia surgery can consist in wearing an elastic band over the chest during several days after surgery. We recommend its wearing during 2 to 3 weeks (depending on the severity and scope of the intervention).

Gynecomastia and complications

Complications after gynecomastia surgery in males may be similar to all other types of breast surgery. Possible complications encountered by our specialists in patients from other clinics include an occasional occurrence of breast asymmetry after the surgery as a consequence of a differently removed gland volume from the breasts. Common are also inequalities after a disproportionate removal of mammary glands and fat tissues, as well as healing involving a hypertrophied scar.