Gynecomastie

Gynecomastia, also called breast overdevelopment, occurs in men due to hormonal reasons or due to the side effect of various drugs. Gynecomastia, which can also be seen in infancy and old age, is often seen especially in young men. Gynecomastia does not harm health, but men feel uncomfortable about it and may have a psychological disorder due to the large breasts. Gynecomastia, which has been present for a long time, does not heal by itself. Therefore, medical and surgical treatments may be required.

Gynecomastia Before & After

What Are The Causes Of Gynecomastia ?

There are many factors that cause gynecomastia. These are preceded by hormonal changes.
Men’s diet patterns, kidney failure, liver failure, and decreased testosterone secretion causes gynecomastia in men. Various health problems can also lead to breast growth in men.

Alcohol and smoking are factors that cause breast growth. Other than alcohol and smoking, men who use substances such as cannabis and heroin are very likely to have gynecomastia.
Some drugs used by men can also cause their breasts to grow as a side effect. The drugs used for various ailments such as anxiety, depression, prostate can cause breast enlargement as a side effect in men.

Some cosmetic products cause enlargement of breast tissue. These products include tea tree and shampoos with lavender extract. Therefore, it is advisable not to use such products without the advice of a doctor and without investigating the side effects. Various vegetable oils used in skincare are also among the factors leading to breast growth in men.

Who May Have Gynecomastia ?

Gynecomastia can be seen in almost every man, but it is often encountered in adolescents. Gynecomastia, commonly encountered during adolescence, occurs in an average of 40% of adolescent boys, and the age ranges are between 10 and 16 on average. In 27% of adolescents, gynecomastia continues for 1 year. In 7% of men, it is known to last 2 years. 4% of adults have gynecomastia.

What Are Symptoms Of Gynecomastia ?

Before gynecomastia surgery, a detailed investigation of whether patients carry these symptoms. Among the symptoms of gynecomastia;

  • The formation of nipple discharge,
  • Disproportionate breasts,
  • Experiencing tenderness in the breasts,
  • Feeling of pain,
  • Swelling of the breast tissue,
  • Lump-shaped swelling in the lower part of the breast tip

such situations take place.

In some cases, men perceive these symptoms as cancer thinking, but breast cancer symptoms are not seen at the nipple. Patients are diagnosed in detail by surgeons and their gynecomastia symptoms are shared with patients.

Before Gynecomastia Surgery

There are some points that should be considered before gynecomastia surgery. The drugs used before surgery must be shared with doctors. If you have one week before surgery, you should avoid habits such as smoking and alcohol. Patients who are allergic to any drug or substance should definitely tell this issue to the doctor. Doctors will conduct a detailed interview with patients before surgery. In this interview, it is very important that patients explain everything in detail to the doctors. Patients are also informed about reactions that may occur after surgery.

How is Gynecomastia Surgery Performed ?

Gynecomastia surgery is performed by various methods depending on the growth in the breast. In case the breast in the patient is not too large, the liposuction method is used and the fat tissue in the breast is removed. After this procedure, if the nipple remains large, an incision is made in the lower part of the nipple and the breast gland is removed. If the breasts are extremely saggy and large, the removal of fat tissue and the breast gland is not sufficient.

If such a situation occurs, gynecomastia surgery is performed and the tissue on the breast is removed along with the fats. The nipple is also shrunk appropriately and necessary interventions are made.

Breast reduction surgery is performed on men who have excessively sagging breasts. This procedure is performed successfully because the sagging skin in young men can be easily removed. However, this is more difficult in older men.

On average, the procedure time of the Liposuction patients takes 45 minutes. The operation of the mammary gland, which is taken with local anesthesia, takes up to 1 hour. If there is sagging and in cases such as breast reduction, the operation time may take up to 1.5 hours.

What to Consider After Gynecomastia Surgery

Patients are discharged on the same day after the operation which lasts an average of 1 hour. However, there are some issues that patients should pay attention to after surgery. Pain may occur after surgery, which may last for several days. It is possible to relieve these pains with painkillers given by doctors.

Bruising and swelling may occur between 5 and 10 days after surgery. This situation is temporary. Therefore, patients should not be alarmed about this. However, if very severe reactions are encountered, doctors should be informed.

Patients undergo a rest period of 3-4 days after the operation. After this process, they can go to their jobs and continue their daily lives where they left off. Doctors will share detailed information with patients about the movements that should be avoided after surgery. After the treatment process is best handled and fully recovered, patients can resume their work.