Is gynecomastia surgery (male breast reduction) just a version of liposuction for male breasts?
Treatment of male breast enlargement is individualized to the patient needs. Some patients require underlying tissue removal (which liposuction works well for) while others require skin excision as well (perhaps in some weight loss patients) For larger patients with significant excess skin t here is a trade off of scars for shape.
The treatment for gynecomastia really depends on the diagnosis and the extent to which it affects the patient. True gynecomastia (hypertrophied breast tissue on a male) generally requires some type of excisional surgery for treatment. For men who have lipodystrophy of the chest (too much fat on their chest), liposuction works well. The problem is that there is a spectrum of what we are calling gynecomastia. Some patients have fatty chests with a little bit of glandular tissue, others are mostly breast tissue. When I treat a patient with gynecomastia, I will first address the chest with power assisted liposuction to remove as much tissue as possible. If there is still noticeable breast tissue present, I will then make a small periareolar incision through which I will directly remove the tissue.
Hope that helps!
Dr.B
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