Gynecomastia Treatment
What Are The Treatment Options For Gynecomastia
What are some of the causes and treatments for gynecomastia? First, we must know what the condition is before we can understand the malady and offer the proper answers. By definition, the condition is simply explained as an enlargement of the glandular tissue of the male breast. There are times in the males’ life when this condition is considered normal such as during infancy, puberty, middle-aged and older age. This condition must be distinguished from pseudo-gynecomastia, which refers to the presence of fat deposits in the breast area in cases of the patient being overweight.
A Look at the Gynecomastia Causes
Gynecomastia is the result of an imbalance in hormone levels, specifically that of estrogen, which is a hormone both males and females naturally produce. These hormone levels can become disrupted for many different reasons, and only testing will show why these levels are being disrupted for a particular patient. Obesity is also listed among gynecomastia causes with this type of condition being labeled as pseudo-gynecomastia, which gives reference to the presence of fat deposits in the breast area.
What Are the Treatment Options?
In some cases, this condition doesn’t need to be treated. Absolving oneself from the use of recreational drugs or those medications that may be causative of hormonal imbalance will sometimes be all that is needed. However, usually your physician will want to issue some tests to determine what may be causing your condition; these tests are done, in most cases, to rule out other diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver and disorders of the male sex organs.
Though this problem can be treated in several different ways once causation has been determined, the psychological problems the patient may suffer should also be addressed. While plastic surgery may indeed treat the physicality of the malady, the psychological aspect of the condition may take years to alleviate. Men who suffer from this condition very often feel embarrassed by the condition causing them to have low self-esteem.
Many men will try to hide their condition by wearing over-sized shirts, thus hiding behind their clothing. While women may be more able to discuss problems in this area, men tend not to discuss these kinds of issues instead preferring to hide the condition. Though it is not recommended, it is a common practice amongst most men to leave the condition untreated.
There are several options when it comes to gynecomastia treatment including plastic surgery, loose clothing, weight loss, and medications. Each of these treatment methods has their own pros and con’s. Plastic surgery will be the quickest method of gynecomastia treatment however, the pain, risk of bleeding and infection associated with this method will be an ever-present threat because of its invasive nature. While clothing may camouflage the physicality of the condition, it of course does not solve the medical condition, not to mention the causation.
Weight loss programs have proven to be a successful gynecomastia treatment and tend to be the safest; however, these programs can be difficult for some to finish and thus the condition will persist. Gynecomastia medication on the other hand is a popular method since it tends to be a safer method and implementation is more easily done, especially when one considers the possible side effects of plastic surgery and the difficulty associated with the other treatment methods. In addition, many times the prescribed medications will relieve the sufferer of the condition much quicker than all other treatment methods.
Tips For Preparation Of Gynecomastia Surgery
Methods of Gynecomastia Surgery and Preparation for Surgery
Surgical treatment of gynecomastia is concluded in plastic Gynecomastia surgery for breast reduction, liposuction, or a combination of both methods.
Most often people resort to plastic Gynecomastia surgery, for two reasons: first, the goal of surgery – removal of excess breast tissue and the formation of its normal form, and secondly – a study of excised tissue for possible cancerous changes. Typically, breast augmentation with gynecomastia appears on both sides. If you find a seal in the enlarged breasts, immediately, consult a physician (surgeon or oncologist) to as soon as possible to exclude neoplastic disease.
The first step in treatment is to consult a plastic surgeon to figure out, but if you need surgery, and how you fit for surgery. Candidate for surgery for gynecomastia should have a relatively normal weight, do not have chronic diseases of the heart, lungs or kidneys. Go for an operation needed if breast augmentation is really bothering you. Ideally, you should be firm and elastic skin that can change the shape of the breast and reconstruct its normal appearance.
Gynecomastia surgery in adolescents is applied if the gynecomastia is strongly expressed, or if it persists for more than two years. In some cases, may require the secondary operation, if the breast continues to evolve.
The operation is not recommended for obesity, or if unsuccessful attempts to surgery for obesity. In addition, it is necessary to consult with your doctor about medications you are taking because they can also cause gynecomastia. But do not independently stop taking drugs!
Preparation for Gynecomastia Surgery
Before surgery, a doctor conducts a complete examination. To do so, made common blood and urine tests, biochemical blood tests, blood clotting. The doctor will ask you about whether you are allergic to something, as well as to previous illnesses and surgical interventions, especially in the chest. Necessarily carried out X-ray chest cage, and if necessary, and ultrasound. Blood tests for hormones, to determine the level of sex hormones. Before surgery, your doctor will make pictures of your chest, so that after surgery you can evaluate the treatment outcome. Before the surgery is strongly recommended to stop smoking, as it negatively affects the healing of surgical wounds. It is generally recommended to stop smoking for a month before surgery and within a month after that.
Methods of Surgery for Gynecomastia
If the increased breast is composed primarily from adipose tissue, the doctor may offer you liposuction – a procedure in which using a special apparatus is sucked excess fat. When the excess glandular tissue is excised with a scalpel. Excision of glandular tissue can also be combined with liposuction.
Incision during surgery is usually done either on the edge of the areola or in the underarm area. After skin incision the surgeon excised the excess breast tissue, fat and skin around the areola and the lower chest. After this, the skin incisions are stitched. In the case of a combination of surgery with liposuction, a tube system, through which adipose tissue is suctioned, injected directly through the incision. Further, this tube is connected to the apparatus and the fat is suctioned.
If only liposuction, the doctor makes a small incision (about 1 cm) through which the chest tube is introduced. In addition, the incision for the tube may be held in the armpit area. You can feel with some vibration, but the pain does not happen. In place of the cuts are set rubber drains to the tissues not accumulate fluid. Once the wounds are sewn, glued them to a sterile dressing.
Usually the operation takes about half an hour of gynecomastia. The operation is performed under general anesthesia, but may under local anesthesia.
Differences Between Gynecomastia And Pseudogynecomastia
It is important to differentiate between Gynecomastia and Pseudogynecomastia. The cause of Gynecomastia is due to the imbalance in hormones in the male. In pseduogynecomastia, the cause is entirely different. Fat gets deposited in the pectoral area and gives one an appearance of having breasts. This is usually found in obese or overweight men.
What Are The Cause Of Gynecomastia?
The causes of Gynecomastia or breast development in males are due to the disparity in the hormone levels. It is a condition in which, a firm breast gland tissue is formed. It may occur in one or both the breasts and starts with a small lump beneath the nipple, which may be sensitive to touch. Sometimes milk formation can exist.
Human beings possess both the female and male hormone. When there is an imbalance or in other words, when the female hormone (estrogen) is proportionately higher than the male hormone (androgen), it leads to this disorder. It also depends on how the male body adjusts to these hormonal changes. At puberty, the levels of both these hormones will differ. The levels of the female hormone will be on the higher side. Generally, these levels will get adjusted over a period of time. When this does not happen, it leads to this state. It is typical to find this condition in infants, at puberty and in middle-aged to older men.
There are also a many other causes of Gynecomastia which create any altered hormonal atmosphere in the body. It could be caused by any of the following reasons.
1. Malnutrition: The body does not receive enough nutrients to function properly. During the recovery stage, it has been found that a hormonal setting can be created to lead to this condition.
2. Cirrhosis of the liver: Due to the abnormal structure and function of the liver.it is not able to add or remove substances from the blood.
3. Metabolism: The metabolic pathways do not effectively breakdown a constituent or build a new chemical element.
4. Testes: The condition of the male sexual organs can result in low testosterone or the male hormone production and lead to comparatively high estrogen levels.
5. Klinefelterís syndrome: The cause may be being also genetic in nature. The male has an extra X chromosome.
6. Trauma: This can be caused physically or mentally.
7. Infection: The organism would use up the bodyís vital nutrients.
8. Aging: As we grow older our metabolic rate and resistance to ailments, decrease.
9. Testicular cancers: This happens when the cells in the testes becomes malignant. This may cause the release of hormones to create Gnecomastia.
10. Chronic renal failure and hyperthyroidism: These can also bring about a hormonal change.
It is heartening to know that nowadays, men need not fear removing their shirts.Gynecomastia surgery is now a proven procedure to be taken .There are two methods for reducing male breasts, liposuction and excision. Liposuction is ideal for cases where there is a lot of fat build-up. The fat is sucked out .But in cases where the tissue is firm and glandular, it has to be excised. In this method the tissue is removed by surgery.