Breast Reduction for Men Mobile, AL
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Surgery to Treat Gynecomastia
Men who are self-conscious about excess breast tissue can find a solution through male breast reduction. This surgery involves the removal of excess fat and glandular tissue, techniques that can provide a flatter, more masculine chest.
If you’re a man living near Mobile and struggling with a feminine-appearing chest, you should consider a visit to Dr. Proffitt for a discussion about male breast reduction.
Who’s the Right Candidate for Male Breast Reduction?
Male breast reduction can be performed on adult men and even some adolescents. It is an appropriate solution when gynecomastia does not respond to diet, exercise, or other changes in lifestyle.
Good candidates are:
- Tired of hiding their condition
- At a healthy, stable body weight
- Capable of understanding the risks and benefits of surgery
Some men may need to visit their primary physician to discuss possible underlying causes of gynecomastia. Although the cause of this condition is unclear, it has been linked to certain lifestyle choices. If no underlying cause is determined, a male breast reduction can be considered.
Your Male Breast Reduction Consultation in Mobile
During your consultation, Dr. Proffitt will outline the specific procedures he will use when he performs your male breast reduction. He will answer your questions and discuss the risks, benefits, and expected outcome of the surgery. You’ll also have the opportunity to review our male breast reduction photos, so you understand the typical results that are achieved.
How Male Breast Reduction Works
Male breast reduction surgery generally takes at least one hour. Depending on the amount of tissue to be removed, you will either be given a general anesthetic or a local anesthetic with sedation.
At the beginning, Dr. Proffitt will make small incisions near the underarm or nipple. He will then remove the excess breast tissue. Liposuction or surgical excision can remove fat deposits on your chest. Once excess tissue and fat have been removed, Dr. Proffitt will be able to close the incisions with sutures.
After Male Breast Reduction
After your male breast reduction in Mobile, Dr. Proffitt will give you specific instructions to follow. You may need to keep your chest wrapped in gauze and postpone exercise for about three weeks. Patients can typically return to work after one week. Sutures will be removed around that time, as well. It’s common to experience some swelling, bruising, and discomfort after surgery. With time, these effects will subside and you will be able to experience the final result of your surgery.
Amazing!
More information about Breast Reduction for Men by Dr. Randy Proffitt
Gynecomastia is the medical term for male breasts. It is seldom talked about but it is very commonly encountered, especially in my practice. Here in Mobile, Alabama, I see at least one patient a month with Gynecomastia. Most of the patients are in their late teenage years, although there are those in their late twenties or early thirties who desire a less prominent appearance of the breast area. The typical presentation is a teenager who does not like to take his shirt off while at the beach or in the swimming pool and sometimes will not even go out for sports because he feels uncomfortable undressing in the locker room. These patients are slow to report it to their parents, especially their mothers. Frequently they undergo teasing at school and often will not participate in school activities for that reason alone.
The most common cause of male breast development is a surge in not only testosterone but also estradiol at the time of puberty, which stimulates the breast tissue. Everyone has breast tissue, whether male or female, however, some men’s breast tissue is more responsive to this small surge in estrogen hormone at the time of puberty. Frequently pediatricians will tell the patient that it is only temporary. However, the ones that I see can’t wait for it to go away or it is persistent or worsening. This is what we call the idiopathic type of presentation and only means that we really don’t know why the tissue becomes more prominent in some males. Certainly, there are other causes for breast development in men and these have to be ruled out prior to any surgical intervention. They are rare but frequently can be eliminated by history and physical, as well as blood tests. Some insurance companies will require a consultation with an endocrinologist but most are satisfied with the results of lab tests and photographs for preauthorization of surgery.
What does the surgery involve?
Essentially there are two components to the surgery. One is to remove actual breast tissue, which is firm tissue immediately underneath the nipple area. This is usually done by an inferior periareolar incision. This means the incision is on the lower half at the edge where the colored portion of the nipple is. The firm breast tissue is surgically excised with the scalpel in this region. The second component is performed after the removal, closing the incision and creating a separate small incision in the crease laterally and inferior to the nipple area. This is the entrance site to perform liposuction over the entire chest wall to smooth the contour out. Gynecomastia patients have two contributing factors to their gynecomastia. One is breast tissue and the other one is breast fat. Liposuction will not remove the breast tissue (that is removed surgically) but is very good at contouring the entire area once the breast tissue component is removed.
The procedure generally takes less than an hour to perform. After the incisions are closed then the patient is placed in a compression/elastic type vest with Velcro fastenings over the shoulder and a zipper up the front. After 3 days the patient can remove all dressings and shower and wash around the incisions. The compression vest is worn for at least 3 weeks after surgery 24 hours a day, except to shower. The most comfortable way to wear the vest is to wear a t-shirt first and apply the vest over the top of the t-shirt. There is a suture around the inferior aspect of the areola, that is removed at approximately 1 week. Strenuous activity should be curtailed for at least 3 weeks. Although gynecomastia surgery is a frequently performed operation it is seldom discussed among or outside of those who have this condition because it is a non-glamorous condition and often embarrassing to the patient.
Male Breast Reduction Cost
The total cost of a male breast reduction surgery is determined based on factors like your medical examinations, surgeon’s fee, hospital charges, post-surgery garments, and anesthesia. The exact techniques used will also impact cost, as will the total time needed to perform the surgery.
Scheduling Your Surgery with Dr. Proffitt
To learn more about male breast reduction with Mobile Alabama, please call 251-344-0322 for a consultation with plastic surgeon Dr. Randy Proffitt. To email our staff, please fill out the online contact form. Click below to view a map to our plastic surgery practice located at 6317 Piccadilly Square, Mobile, AL 36609.
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