Gynecomastia surgery. What causes craters in the chest?

A crater deformity is the result of over resection of the breast tissue. For correction a "fat flap" is usually done. Be sure to pick a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who specializes in gynecomastia surgery. 40% of my gynecomastia practice is revision surgery where the original surgeon either removed too much or not enough tissue. Good luck.

The unfortunate crater deformity occurs after the removal of glandular tissue in the central area combined with inadequate contouring of the surrounding tissue. The ability to contour the chest to create a smooth appearance is just as important as the adequate removal of the glandular tissue. Experienced plastic surgeons know that what is important isn't so much of how much tissue was removed, but rather, the tissue which is left behind which leads to a smooth, contoured chest. My advice is to seek out an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon who is affiliated with the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).

Crater deformity are the result of incomplete treatment and by inexperienced surgeons. The thickest part of the gland is the cin the center. However, the surrounding tissues must be contoured to get a smooth final result. This is a routine concept used by experienced gynecomastia surgeons.

Gynecomastia treatment is 2 pronged: liposuction to remove excess fat and surgical excision to remove excess glandular tissue. Typically liposuction is performed first. Once completed, there is often a central area of residual glandular tissue just below the NAC. This is accessed via a small incision along the lower border of the areola. The gland is identified and excised. Special care is taken during excision to leave a small 1 cm cuff of tissue on the underside of the areola to support the tissue and avoid the "cup and saucer" appearance.Ultimately, the goal of surgery is to reduce the volume while obtaining a smooth, uniform contour. As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS).

Thank you for your question. A well done Gynecomastia Reduction should not leave a "crater" appearance. A combination of Liposuction and excision of the gland should result in a very smooth and natural contour across the chest. Make sure you see a few Board Certified Plastic Surgeons that can describe their technique to you and show you lots of pictures of their patient results. Then you will know what yours will be. Best Wishes

The craters to which you refer are the basically the result of bad surgical technique. To avoid this, you want to make sure that you see a board certified plastic surgeon who has had a lot of experience performing gynecomastia surgery. Best of luck.

Hello and thank you for your excellent question. Typically, "craters" or contour irregularities after gynecomastia surgery are the consequence of improper surgical technique. It is important to obtain a face-to-face consultation to evaluate you for a procedure, and to discuss the different available options. Preoperative visualization and surgical simulation with the Crisalix system may help with your decision. Any treatment plan should be based on a detailed discussion with equal input from both you and your surgeon.    Make sure you specifically look at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.   The most important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend that you seek consultation in person with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon.  Good luck! 


Best,
Jon Ver Halen, MD FACS 

Harvard educated plastic surgeon