Every year, millions of boys and men are affected by gynecomastia. The causes of this condition remains unknown or unclear to many. This has led to thousands of misconceptions and myths regarding gynecomastia, and gynecomastia surgery cost. Victims of this condition end up suffering on their own and at most times end up making grave mistakes. To keep men safe, here are some facts about gynecomastia surgery and treatment procedures.
What is gynecomastia?
This is a condition where the gland tissue in male breasts enlarges. Gynecomastia can occur at any point during a man’s lifetime – at infancy, puberty, middle-age or old-age. You shouldn’t mistake gynecomastia to lipomastia which occurs due to the presence of excess fat deposits in breasts of obese men.
What causes gynecomastia?
To clear the air, here are the general causes of gynecomastia:
Medications: Some medications result in a hormonal imbalance in the body. This, in turn, triggers the enlargement of male breasts.
Hormones: This is the most common cause of gynecomastia. Studies have shown that if a man’s body produces more estrogen than testosterone, breast enlargement can occur.
If you have a health issue in major organs such as liver and kidney, you might suffer from this condition. Also, malnutrition, aging, hypogonadism and hyperthyroidism can trigger this condition.
Important Facts about Gynecomastia Surgery
This is the best treatment for gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia surgery may be conducted in two forms – mastectomy or liposuction. Mastectomy is where the gland tissue is removed while liposuction is the removal of excess fat and not the breast gland.
This procedure should focus on limiting surgical incisions and residual scars. It isn’t fair to trade breasts for a set of permanent scars or a saggy skin.
If incisions are limited to the inferior areolar border, resulting scars will be either very faint or invisible. In most cases, this is the only incision needed.
Patients with saggy or droopy skin will have to be treated with total removal of gynecomastia. Here, the nipple or areola complex will have to be removed and replaced.
Always look at before and after’ photos of patients operated by a particular surgeon. This will show how skilled the surgeon is and will prevent you from having to deal with unwanted permanent scars.
Since the year 2000, over 20000 men have taken gynecomastia surgery. Therefore, this is a safe way to deal with this condition. With the gynecomastia surgery cost ranging between $3,000 and $10,000, based on severity and health of the patient.
Benefits of gynecomastia surgery
- Results in flatter, firmer and more contoured chest.
- The results are faster and permanent.
- You can resume with your normal lifestyle a week after the procedure. However, you should rest more if strenuous activities are involved.
- It will boost your self-esteem.
Are there any drawbacks of gynecomastia surgery besides cost?
Surgery results in scars which might make you want to keep your shirt on forever. However, at the hands of a good surgeon, this should not worry you.
Some patients might experience pain and risk of getting an infection. Keep in mind that surgery involves cutting of flesh and pain killers might not be, at times, very effective.
Conclusion
Gynecomastia will often affect one breast and is not caused by weight gain. You should also know that patients might be required to wear elastic pressure garments for 3-6 weeks. This condition doesn’t affect other body parts.
