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Gynecomastia is a very frustrating condition faced by many men in Bangalore and India. This can be easily resolved by gynecomastia surgery performed by expert liposuction specialists.
Gynaecomastia or man boobs is an abnormal swelling of breast tissue in men. Normally, breast tissue including the glandular tissue is not developed. In some individuals, due to various causes, this tissue can enlarge and become visible. This tissue has two components:
- Fatty tissue: This is soft and made up of fat cells
- Glandular tissue: This is firm and made up of enlarged glands and fibrous tissue.
Is Gynaecomastia/manboobs dangerous?
Gynaecomastia is not dangerous per se, and does not adversely affect your health. However, gynaecomastia causes much social embarrassment, and psychological stress as these young men are not able to wear tight-fitting dresses, visit public gyms, swimming pools, religious ceremonies which need disrobing of the upper clothes etc. Young men in hostels are often at the receiving end of jokes and ridicule. These people try to hide gynaecomastia by wearing loose clothes, but severe grades are difficult to hide.
What causes gynaecomastia?
The most common cause of gynecomastia is puberty. Men also have breast gland tissue like women, but in most men, it doesn’t develop. Simply put all individuals have both male and female sex hormones. In men, male hormones are higher than female. During puberty, this hormone balance may temporarily get altered. This alteration stimulates the breast glands which grow and look like breasts. Unfortunately, even when the hormone levels normalize, this breast tissue doesn’t go away.
Gynecomastia can occur due to other hormonal abnormalities that affect the balance of male and female sex hormones. There are several drugs that also cause hormonal changes and gynaecomastia. It is important to be seen by a qualified surgeon to rule out any underlying condition causing it for long term results.
One other important cause of gynecomastia that is, unfortunately, becoming more common is the use of steroids in gyms. Often times, men are pressured to take anabolic steroids. These steroids are converted in the body to female hormones and can stimulate gynecomastia.
What are the stages of gynaecomastia?
There are various classifications for gynaecomastia. One of the most popular ones is the following:
The stages are shown along with actual results after gynaecomastia surgery from The Venkat Center in Bangalore.
- Grade One – Mild enlargement of the breast bud concentrated behind the areola.
- Grade Two – Breast growth spreading beyond the areola with edges that blend with the chest wall.
- Grade Three – Breast growth spreading beyond the areola, with clear edges and redundant skin.
- Grade Four – Marked breast enlargement with redundant skin and feminisation of the breast.
Does going to the gym cause gynaecomastia?
Working out does not directly cause manboobs, however often in gyms, men can be pressured into taking supplements or steroid injections. These can have hormonal components which can cause gynaecomastia, which is much more severe than the type cause by puberty.
What are the treatment options for gynecomastia?
Drugs such as Tamoxifen have been advocated for management, but gynecomastia surgery remains the mainstay of treatment for many patients. Selected cases may need to be checked for any hormonal abnormality and by ultrasound scanning to rule out any breast pathology.
Till now, an extensive procedure subtotal mastectomy was the treatment of choice. However, with the introduction of tumescent liposuction, male breast reduction treatment has become simpler and effective. It is cosmetically more acceptable as the scar is minimal.
Can I reduce gynaecomastia by working out?
Unfortunately, working out and cardio does not get rid of manboobs, as the glandular tissue cannot be broken down by exercise alone. The fatty tissue is also resistant to breaking down.
How does liposuction treat gynaecomastia?
Liposuction for gynecomastia is done under the technique of Awake liposuction at Venkat Center. Under Awake Liposuction is done under the usage of local anesthesia
- Awake Liposuction to remove fatty tissue: A powered machine is used to remove tougher fat tissue.
- Glandular extraction: Through the same small holes, the glandular tissue is teased out and removed. This is tissue is difficult to remove with liposuction alone.
- Skin tightening: Energy device is used to break down the tissue further, which improves the result post-operatively. At the same time, it also causes the skin to contract and adhere to the chest wall.
What is mastectomy?
Mastectomy is male breast reduction surgery to remove the enlarged breast tissue. It is done under general anesthesia. A 5 cm incision is made around the nipple, the gland is dissected and removed. Drains are placed to resolve any bleeding.
How is awake liposuction superior to mastectomy?
Liposuction is preferable to mastectomy for several reasons:
- Anesthesia: We perform Awake Liposuction under local tumescent anesthesia, while mastectomy requires general anesthesia.
- Incision: Liposuction is done through small 3 mm incisions that are not visible and need no sutures. Mastectomy needs a bigger 5 cm incision which can heal with a bad scar in people
- Result: Awake Liposuction gives a smoother result as it gradually removes tissue from all areas and can be sculpted as needed. Mastectomy can sometimes lead to a saucer-like deformity if all the tissue is removed from the center and none from the edges. Also, during awake liposuction, the patient can be made to stand in the middle of the surgery. This improves the result as the body looks different while standing and while lying down.
- Bleeding: Awake Liposuction causes minimal blood loss. Mastectomy often needs the use of drains after surgery to remove collected blood.
- Scars– liposuction involves the use of small holes around 3-4mm. Mastectomy needs a large incision of a few cm.
What is the cost of gynaecomastia surgery?
The cost of gynecomastia surgery depends on the stage and extent. It can vary from Rs 40,000 to Rs 80,000 depending on the severity. This includes the surgery, dressings and follow up.
Why undergo gynecomastia surgery at Venkat Center Bangalore?
- Our surgeons have treated over 700 cases of gynaecomastia.
- Our specialty is we perform this completely under local anesthesia which is safer, painless and has a faster recovery time.
- We perform glandular extraction as well and are careful to avoid saucer deformities.
- We try to avoid skin excision and scars. We use non-surgical skin tightening treatments for the same.
- Our priority at all times is the safety of the patient.
Awake Liposuction & why we recommended it
At Venkat Center, we recommend Awake Liposuction. Awake Liposuction is the concept of doing the liposuction procedure while the patient is awake & not unconscious. For Awake Liposuction, local anesthesia is used instead of general anesthesia. Under general anesthesia, the patient will be completely unconscious. Local anesthesia is the technique of giving anesthesia to that part of the body where the surgery is being done. Only the area where the anesthesia is given becomes numb. Due to this, the patient is conscious and awake during the procedure. Traditionally, local anesthesia could only be given for small areas such as removing a small swelling. However, the advent of a newer technique called tumescent local anesthesia, allows this to be given for a large area. This makes Awake Liposuction possible and also a safe method while compared to Liposuction under general anesthesia.
What do I do if I have extra skin?
This device used radiofrequency energy to cause skin contraction, and can therefore help with extra skin after liposuction.
How is this different from other machines?
⦁ It uses energy both below and above the skin which gives superior results to other devices
⦁ It has a special probe named bodytite which is large and accurate enough to be used on the body safely and effectively. Other devices do not have this level of accuracy
How is BODYTITE done? Is it safe?
It is done as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia, patient goes home in half an hour.
The device has numerous safeguards built in which ensure complete safety. The results are seen immediately, with best results after 6 weeks and improving even further over 12 months
The procedure can either be done at the same time as liposuction, or later as a secondary procedure
The best candidates for this procedure are those with a moderate amount of skin excess, who don’t want a surgical procedure.
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