Gynecomastia is a problem, which troubles men. Diagnosis of gynecomastia is one- or both-sided enlargement of mammary gland in males. Most often it is so-called prepubertal gynecomastia in adolescence period between 10-17 years old men /almost 70%/ caused by hormonal disproportion of organism.
It can also appear in the elderly /rather after 60 years old men/ when it can be caused by different drugs, medically prescribed hormones, liver disease and very rarely even cancer of mammary gland in males etc.
How to treat gynecomastia?
Special examination
The patient with gynecomastia should be examined in mammological consulting room, which is usually a part of almost all surgeries. Further treatment is in cooperation with endocrinologist /physicians who specialize on treatment of hormonal disorders/.
In case that the gland does not disappear either spontaneously or after a hormonal therapy, patients are usually send to department of plastic surgery for surgical removal of enlarged gland.
Removal
This removal is made for 2 reasons.
1)This male deformation of body is psychically unbearable for a young adolescent man
2)From preventive reasons to avoid possible tumoral proliferation by elderly patients.
Treatment gynecomastia
Removal of small glands is performed via half-moon incision placed on the edge of breast areola, so that the scar on the edge of light and dark skin won't be visible after some time. In obese patients the gland is removed and the contour of chest is reshaped with liposuction.
In very large gynecomastias it is necessary to perform not just removal of gland and reduction of a fat layer but also removal of excessive skin.
The surgery is performed under general anaesthesia.
After the treatment gynecomastia
- length of hospitalization is 1-2 days
- sutures are removed approximately in 14 days
full physical exercise including fitness is possible in 6 weeks in case of unproblematic progress.