Gynecomastia is an enlargement of male breast tissue. It can present as a palpable mass beneath the nipple, puffy nipples or enlargement of the entire male breast.
Large amounts of gynecomastia have a feminizing effect on the chest. After Gynecomastia Reduction, male breast reduction, the chest is decidedly masculine.
Gynecomastia at Birth
Gynecomastia is something every male is born with. The mother’s hormones cross the placental barrier and cause enlargement of the newborn’s breast tissue. After birth, the levels of these hormones drop quickly, causing the gynecomastia to resolve.
Gynecomastia at Puberty
Gynecomastia frequently occurs at puberty. In many cases, the overdevelopment of the breast tissue resolves in a year or two. Often, however, it persists. When a significant amount of breast tissue develops, the fullness can be noticeable.
Gynecomastia and Steroid Use
Gynecomastia can develop in response to exogenous hormones too. Anabolic steroids can lead to growth of breast tissue in men. Anabolic steroids are androgenic, however, an enzyme (aromatase), converts testosterone to estradiol. Side effects include testicular atrophy, infertility and gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia usually presents as a firm, rubbery mass directly behind the nipple and areola. Once it forms, it stays, and does not resolve even after stopping steroids. Aromatase inhibitors, like those used for the prevention of breast cancer recurrence, are not effective for reducing the gynecomastia after it has formed.
Gynecomastia and Medications
The most common reason for adult onset gynecomastia is prescription drug use. Many common medications used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease have gynecomastia formation as a side effect. The hormones used to treat prostate cancer also can cause significant breast tissue development. Marijuana is also common causal agent.
Gynecomastia and Cancer
Gynecomastia, by definition, is a benign enlargement of the male breast tissue. Breast lumps in men are rarely cancerous. Gynecomastia is firm but rubbery and is mobile within the breast. The possibility of a breast cancer is increased for hard, fixed masses, especially if they continue to enlarge. Testicular cancer can also present as gynecomastia.
Male Breast Reduction and Gynecomastia Reduction
Once overdeveloped, male breast tissue does not usually spontaneously shrink. Often, the enlargement is enough to be noticed even through clothing. Many men with gynecomastia are uncomfortable wearing t-shirts, and will dress in layers to hide their embarrassment. Plastic surgeons can discretely remove the offending tissue and restore a more masculine chest.
Gynecomastia – Male Breast Reduction – Before and After Pictures
Softer forms of gynecomastia can be removed with liposuction alone. Liposuction was performed on the chest and abdomen in the before and after pictures shown above.
Gynecomastia Surgery
The primary methods for removing gynecomastia are Liposuction and direct excision of the glandular tissue. Soft tissue can be removed via small liposuction incisions, while firmer tissue requires an incision placed around the lower areola for direct removal. In rare cases when the skin itself has been stretched out of shape, removal of skin maybe required, and an incision may be placed in the fold under the breasts.
Schedule Your Gynecomastia Consultation
The best way to review your options for Gynecomastia Reduction is during a consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. After a brief history and examination, I can discuss the treatment(s) most likely to achieve the best results. Male Breast Reduction is an outpatient procedure, so no hospitalization is required. You can go home the same day, and resume most activities in a few days to a week. Vigorous workouts and contact sports require a few weeks of rest. More information about gynecomastia treatment is available here: Gynecomastia Information.
Call our San Francisco Bay Area Plastic Surgery office in Walnut Creek, California, to schedule your Gynecomastia consultation today at (925) 943-6353, or ask your gynecomastia reduction questions via the contact form to the left.
Breast Reduction surgery, for women and men, is offered at our San Francisco Bay Area Plastic Surgery office in Walnut Creek, CA.
Breast Reduction for Women
Breast Reduction for Women is performed most commonly to reduce the physical symptoms associated with large breasts such as:
Breast pain
Neck pain
Back pain
Shoulder pain
Shoulder rutting (grooves from the bra strap)
Chronic rash beneath the breasts
Breast Reduction for Men (Gynecomastia Reduction)
Breast Reduction for Men, also called Gynecomastia Reduction, is performed to reduce an over developed male breast, and to remove disproportionate fullness of the chest. While male breast reduction is not discussed on this video, more information, including videos, is available on DrMele.com’s Gynecomastia Reduction and SanFranciscoBreast.com Male Breast Reduction pages.
Breast Reduction Surgery
There are many variations of Breast Reduction Surgery. Larger reductions require larger procedures. The procedure is an outpatient procedure, but sometimes an overnight stay is recommended. To determine what procedure will work best for you, find a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon near you for a professional evaluation.
Breast Reduction Video Presentation
Breast Surgery was the theme for my recent appearance on the San Francisco Bay Area’s News Station, KRON4‘s Body Beautiful. Watch the Breast Reduction Video segment below for the latest information on Breast Reduction and Reduction Mammoplasty. Host Janelle Marie asks the tough questions, and San Francisco Bay Area callers have their questions answered during the program.
Reduction Mammoplasty Video
The following Breast Reduction Video is the third of four segments on Cosmetic Breast Enhancement Surgery. In this segment, the latest information is presented about Breast Reduction including: updates about the procedure, breast reduction techniques, options and recovery. The (415) phone number shown in this video, was for viewers to call in with questions during the live show. If you have a question, please call my Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery office directly at (925) 943-6353. We are open weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm.
The Lastest in Breast Reduction (Reduction Mammoplasty)
Reduction Mammoplasty – Breast Reduction Information
This Breast Reduction Surgery Video includes answers to frequently asked question and general information about:
What are the indications for Breast Reduction?
How is Reduction Mammoplasty performed?
What is the recovery for Breast Reduction?
What is an Inverted-T Breast Reduction?
Where are the scars for Reduction Mammoplasty?
Can Liposuction be used for Breast Reduction?
Before and after Breast Reduction photos
Why can saggy breasts require shorter Breast Reduction incisions?
Can asymmetry be addressed during Reduction Mammoplasty?
Can symmetry be improved with a Mastopexy?
Can Breast Reduction be part of a Mommy Makeover?
More Breast Enhancement Information
The other video segments from my Body Beautiful appearance are available here:
The best information is obtained in person. If you are considering Cosmetic Breast Surgery, the most reliable way to clarify the specific options that will work for you is with a personal consultation. To schedule a Breast Reduction consultation in our San Francisco Bay Area, Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery Office call (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form to the left.
Breast implants are used to increase the size of the breasts. If you are happy with the shape of your breasts, but desire increased volume, breast augmentation with a breast implant may be a good choice. Cosmetic breast enhancement includes other breast procedures also. For overly large breasts, breast reduction is an option. For deflated breasts, breast augmentation and breast lifts are the preferred treatments. Many of these options are outlined in detail on the San Francisco Breast site.
Last month, on KRON4′s Body Beautiful, I had the opportunity to discuss cosmetic surgery of the breast. Below is an excerpt from my interview with the Bay Area’s News Station’s Vicki Liviakis. This segment includes more caller questions. Please note, the 800 number in the video was used exclusively as part of the live show. If you have questions, or would like to schedule a consultation appointment, please call my office directly at (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form on the left side of this page.
This breast augmentation video includes answers to viewers questions about:
Breast implant revision surgery
Capsular contracture
Breast implant complications
Silicone breast implant leaks and MRI
Breast reduction insurance coverage
Breast feeding after breast augmentation
Transgender breast augmentation
Gynecomastia and male breast reduction
Finding the Right Breast Augmentation Surgeon
If you are considering breast augmentation, be certain to review the benefits, and the risks, with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon like myself, as part of your breast augmentation consultation appointment. If you have developed problems with your breast implants, a consultation with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon is the best first step toward finding relief.
Additional Information on Cosmetic Breast Enhancement
Dr. Joseph Mele appears on KRON4's Body Beautiful.
To celebrate the debut of the new San Francisco Breast dot com (SanFranciscoBreast.com), a site dedicated to cosmetic breast surgery for the San Francisco Bay Area, I will be dedicating my appearance on Monday’s Body Beautiful on KRON4 to the breast. Breast augmentation, breast lifts, breast reductions, breast implant revisions, everything related to enhancing the breasts is open for discussion.
Body Beautiful is broadcast live at 11:00 AM on KRON4, so tune in and phone in with your breast questions. Whether you have had breast surgery, or are considering it, the show will cover a variety of topics. For a preview of what’s in store visit SanFranciscoBreast.com.
What’s new in Breast Enhancement Surgery?
The new web site is a comprehensive and authoritative review of the latest techniques in aesthetic breast surgery. Located in the San Francisco East Bay Area city of Walnut Creek, Plastic Surgeon, Joseph Mele, has lent his years of experience, and breast expertise, to this free patient education resource. The site is illustrated with graphics, videos and before and after pictures, and there is more to come. The list of topics covered is long and includes:
I look forward to hearing from you on Monday. If you will not be able to watch KRON4 at 11 AM on Monday, December 13, 2010, and you have a question you want answered, you can send your question via the contact form to the left. I will send you a personal response, and perhaps your question will be answered live during Body Beautiful.
San Francisco plastic surgery patients have an extensive new local resource encompassing all aspects of cosmetic breast enhancement surgery. I have consolidated my years of experience, and the common questions that my patients ask, to create a site that is both informative and understandable. If you are considering cosmetic breast surgery, SanFranciscoBreast.com is a comprehensive collection of consumer information.
The web site is illustrated with videos and before and after pictures. The list of topics covered is long and includes:
SanFranciscoBreast.com is a specialty site dedicated to all aspects cosmetic breast surgery. Since the site is focused only on the breast, it gives me the opportunity to describe each procedure in detail, and to provide you with specific information to help you make an informed decision.
It may be raining today, but spring is in the air. I am just not a winter person. It is nice to be able to shed a few layers and feel the warmth of the sun. If you have gynecomastia, however, spring is a mixed blessing.
Gynecomastia is the term for enlarged breasts on a man. If you are a man, and do not feel comfortable going shirtless, or wearing a fitted shirt, because of the size of your breasts, gynecomastia reduction may be right for you. Many men with gynecomastia are embarrassed by the size of their breasts, and compensate by wearing baggy shirts and multiple layers. Multiple layers are difficult to explain in the warm summer months of the San Francisco East Bay.
Gynecomastia Reduction Surgery – Many Choices
Everyone has heard about breast reduction surgery, but most of us think of female breast reduction surgery. Surgery is available to reduce the male breast also. The type of procedure which will work best for you depends on the type of gynecomastia you have. If your breast enlargement is mild and you have good skin tone, liposuction may be your best option. If the breast tissue is firm and dense, a small incision around the bottom of the areola (the colored skin around the nipple) may be necessary to remove the glandular tissue. If the skin is loose and redundant, an incision along the bottom of the breast may be needed to remove the excess skin.
Male Breast Reduction with Liposuction
Before surgery: Breast enlargement from mild, soft gynecomastia and mild disproportionate belly fat.
After surgery: Gynecomastia and disproportionate belly fat reduced using tumescent liposuction.
If you have mild breast enlargement, good skin tone, and soft, fatty breast tissue, liposuction alone may be the best treatment. The advantage of liposuction is that it can be accomplished through small discrete incisions. Liposuction of the breasts provides a quick recovery period, and a prompt return to normal activities. Strenuous activity will need to be avoided for a few weeks to minimize post-operative swelling, but most normal daily activity can be resumed in a few days.
Gynecomastia Reduction Surgery
Before Surgery: Severe gynecomastia with a large volume of fibrous, firm, glandular tissue that would not respond to tumescent liposuction alone.
After Surgery: Gynecomastia reduction accomplished through a combination of tumescent liposuction and a small incision along the bottom of the areolas.
If you have larger breasts with firm, dense breast tissue, a small incision is used. The incision is made around the areola from 4 to 8 o’clock. This allows for the removal of dense, glandular breast tissue which cannot be reduced with liposuction alone. Unlike liposuction, this also allows for the tissues to be examined by a pathologist, to be certain the growth is a benign process. Men can get breast cancer, but this is not the most common cause of gynecomastia.
Both the above patients have good skin tone. As the skin becomes loose and redundant, other techniques are available for correction. This is most often seen after weight loss or after bariatric surgery.
Gynecomastia Video
I recently had an opportunity, on San Francisco television station KRON, to discuss gynecomastia. San Francisco Bay Area viewers were able to get information on the latest cosmetic plastic surgery innovations in gynecomastia reduction, and could call in to Body Beautiful with their questions. The gynecomastia video segment is available here: Gynecomastia Reduction – Male Breast Reduction. While you cannot call in to the show now, you can ask any questions you have about gynecomastia surgery via the contact form to the left. The best way to get specific questions answered is to call my Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery Office at (925) 943-6353, and schedule a consultation appointment. I am Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and am an Active Member of both prestigious National Plastic Surgery Societies: The American Society of Plastic Surgeons and The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
Before and after pictures for men and women are included; however, this video is geared primarily toward female breast reduction. For a video covering male breast reduction (gynecomastia reduction) go back one article or click here -> Gynecomastia Reduction (Male Breast Reduction) Video.
This video reviews many aspects of female breast reduction. San Francisco’s KRON4 anchor, Vicki Liviakis, asks the difficult questions that women considering breast reduction surgery need answered. This breast reduction video was broadcast live on Body Beautiful. The 800 number displayed was for the live show only. If you have questions about gynecomastia reduction surgery, please call my Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery Office at (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form to the left.
Breast Reduction San Francisco
What Breast Reduction Information is Provided?
This Breast Reduction Video covers:
The Indications for Breast Reduction Surgery:
Lower Neck Pain
Upper Back Pain
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder Rutting (dents from the bra straps)
Rashes in the Skin Folds under the Breasts
Breast Reduction Before and After Pictures
Male Breast Reduction (Gynecomastia Reduction) with Liposcution
Female Breast Reduction Surgery with Correction of Breast Asymmetry
Does Insurance Cover Breast Reduction Surgery?
Viewer Questions:
How Does Diabetes Effect Plastic Surgery?
How Does Scar Formation Effect Plastic Surgery?
If I Have a Breast Lift, Do I Have to Have Breast Reduction?
How Does Breast Reduction Influence Exercise?
How Does Breast Reduction Influence Breast Feeding?
Gynecomastia is the medical term for benign enlargement of the male breast tissue. While this tissue is normally benign, cancer (both in the breast and elsewhere in the body) can also cause breast enlargement, and should be ruled out. Whenever breast tissue is removed, it should be sent for pathologic diagnosis. Breast tissue which is large, rapidly growing, hard and asymmetric is more suspicious.
Gynecomastia often presents at birth, but as the mother’s estrogen leaves her son, the breasts often shrink to a normal size. Problematic gynecomastia more often presents at puberty. Often a lump of breast tissue will develop in the male breast in response to adult hormones.
Gynecomastia can be unilateral (one sided) or bilateral (present on both sides). It may be painless, but is often tender. It may resolve on it own, or continue to enlarge. If the male breast tissue continues to grow, however, it often leads to increasing discomfort, concern and embarrassment.
This video segment discusses gynecomastia. San Francisco’s KRON4 provides the platform for discussion. This gynecomastia video was broadcast live on Body Beautiful, and reviews gynecomastia cosmetic surgery. The 800 number displayed was for the live show only. If you have questions about gynecomastia reduction surgery, please call my Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery Office at (925) 943-6353, or use the contact form to the left.
Gynecomastia Reduction San Francisco
This is video covers:
The treatment options for male breast reduction (gynecomastia plastic surgery):
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) have released their annual statistics on cosmetic plastic surgery for 2009. Surgical and non-surgical procedures are tallied and compared to previous years. Overall the numbers are down 2% from 2008, but still up 147% since 1997, when the statistics were first compiled. Of the almost ten million procedures performed in 2009, 85% were non-surgical and 15% were surgical. He are some quick facts, a link to the full statistics can be found at the end of this article.
Additional information can be found on the ASAPS web site, or downloaded here. It is a large file, and may take a while…
*Dr. Joseph Mele offers these procedures through his Walnut Creek Plastic Surgery Office. Search the San Francisco Plastic Surgery Blog categories to the left, or click on the links above for more detailed information available on DrMele.com.
