Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia is a common malady for men. This condition is essentially the abnormal enlargement out of portion to the main contour of the chest of the male breast. This condition can be deforming to the chest wall and distract from the mail contour and the muscular contour of the chest wall. This can be caused by a variety of medical problems including pituitary problems other hormone problems and various drugs that cause this to occur.
This can occur as a result of various medications with chronic use including cimetidine ranitidine omeprazole phenothiazines and diazepam human growth hormone and anabolic steroids.
Regardless of the cause the breast tissue is expanded and gives a female appearance to the breast. The vast majority of men will do very well to have this tissue removed. This requires a small incision around the edge of the nipple allowing Dr. Jacobsen to remove the redundant breast tissue and sculpt the area to flatten this area. It is important to remove just enough to give a good contour and not too much to create a concave appearance. This is mainly a sculpting operation. The goal was not to remove all the breast tissue. The goal is to contour this nicely. This requires postoperative care by wearing a compression shirt with direct pressure over the area as the area tends to fill with fluid after the breast tissue is removed. All of our patients have been very happy with this surgery and their results afterward. Some men only have this on one side or the other particularly young man. Some men that are overweight tend to have the appearance of gynecomastia but this is moreover subcutaneous fat that gives the appearance of the breast. This can be corrected as well. Some mid have additional skin as well that is stretched out as a result of the enlarged breast and require additional surgery to remove the skin to flatten the chest wall properly. Nonetheless, the operation is quite short and relatively painless and can be done as an outpatient. All the sutures that are used have antibiotics in them and dissolve. Dr. Jacobsen places DermaBond, surgical skin glue, over the incisions as well so that he can take a shower the next day. And do remember compression is very key to recovering quickly. Sometimes patients have to return and have fluid under the skin or nipple and have to be removed with a small needle in the office which is very easy to do.
Unfortunately, insurance does not cover this. Oftentimes insurance providers will list that it does cover this but over 25 years we have not had one patient that has been approved by insurance to have this much-needed gynecomastia reduction surgery. We have very reasonable prices for all of our men that wish to undergo the surgery. www.drjsoffice.com/pricing
And do remember that this is a sculpting operation. Very rarely Dr. Jacobsen may need to have a little bit more here and there removed to give a perfect contour. But this is quite unusual.