Treatment of men’s large breast

Gynecomastia, a medical word from the Greek words for “women-like beasts” affects one out of every ten men. Enlarged breasts on young boys last only a few years and are generally resolved by age 18. Enlarged breasts on a man; however, can be uncomfortable, as well as socially and psychologically embarrassing. They often won’t ware T-shirts of go swimming because of exposure to their deformity. Gynecomastia may be associated with obesity, hormonal imbalance, liver disease or certain medications may cause the problem. The most common medicines are anabolic steroids which elevate testosterone or testosterone itself, which is being prescribed more frequently, as it should be. Some of the testosterone converts to estrogen and that is what causes the enlarged breasts. Other medications causing gynecomastia are Avodart, Pepsid, Tagomet, Lanoxin, Prozac and others found on Google. For those on testosterone, Arimidex may be taken, which reduces the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. Blood tests are necessary by your physician to determine your estrogen levels.

Male breast reduction can be performed as an outpatient surgical procedure under local or general anesthesia. If the gynecomastia is primarily caused by fatty tissue, liposuction is usually the procedure of choice. However, if gynecomastia is the result of a glandular disorder and consists of an actual breast gland, liposuction alone is not likely to be adequate. This can be identified by feeling a firm core just under the nipple. If this is the case, and it often is, surgical excision of the core will be needed. Usually, liposuction is also needed to remove any excess fat surrounding the core.

If the patient’s breast is very large and aging, then an entirely different procedure is necessary, removing both breast and skin. This is a much more involved procedure and can be discussed in another blog.