Gynekomastia surgery

Age-related gynecomastia

The enlargement of male breasts is usually associated with three age stages:

1. Newborn baby boys may initially have enlarged breasts due to hormones passed from the mother.
2. Temporary breast growth can occur in boys during puberty.
3. In older men, breast enlargement is mainly due to a decrease in testosterone production.

Medication and illness-related gynecomastia

Breast overgrowth is sometimes a symptom of illness or hormonal imbalance. Diseases that can cause breast growth include cirrhosis of the liver or kidney failure. Some cancer treatments may also cause gynecomastia. Excessive alcohol consumption and obesity may also cause breast growth.

Some medications have side effects of breast growth. Such medications include phenytoin and spironolactone. Some psychiatric medications also increase male breast size. Hormonal preparations (such as anabolic steroids) often affect the appearance of male breasts.

Unexplained gynecomastia

In every second case of gynecomastia, the cause of the phenomenon cannot be found even in thorough examinations.

Both gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia are characterized by the gradual growth of a man’s breasts. If breast growth is accompanied by sexual dysfunction, such as impotence, it is very likely due to hormonal disturbances causing gynecomastia. If breast enlargement is related to weight gain, it is almost always pseudogynecomastia.

Gynecomastia involves an increase in glandular tissue. Pseudogynecomastia is caused by the accumulation of fat in the breast area. Glandular tissue feels firmer to the touch than fat. Sometimes palpation alone is not sufficient. In such cases, the patient is often referred for X-ray examination.

If breast growth involves an increase in glandular tissue, gynecomastia surgery may be the most appropriate solution.

If you are bothered by excessive breast growth, you can go through the following checklist:

• Is the breast growth related to weight gain? If so, weight loss can help. Localized fat can also be removed by liposuction and cryolipolysis.
• Is the mild breast growth related to puberty? If so, the situation is transient and normal. No treatment is needed.
• Is the breast growth related to delayed puberty? If so, it is advisable to seek medical attention.
• Are you using anabolic hormone preparations? If you are, their use should be discontinued.
• Are you taking other medications with side effects that include gynecomastia? If so, it is advisable to consult with a doctor about changing the medication.
• Has only one breast grown? If so, it is good to seek examinations.

If there is no underlying illness or other logical explanation for gynecomastia and the issue bothers the man himself, aesthetic plastic surgery offers an effective solution. In gynecomastia surgery, glandular tissue causing growth is removed from the breasts.

Weight-related breast growth can also be treated. In such situations, the best results are achieved with liposuction.

If breast growth is due to both glandular and adipose tissue growth, the situation can be treated with gynecomastia surgery combined with liposuction.