Lipo for Male Breast Reduction - How Long Until Results Are Noticeable?

At 3-4 weeks you can see a significant difference in most areas except very fibrous areas. The fibrous or glandular tissue of the chest requires extra effort to remove the fat and tissue so as a result you have more trauma to the area which causes more prolonged swelling. In a month from now you should see a bigger difference and the final result at about 4-6 months. Be patient and trust what your doc tells you along the way.
David Hansen,MD

Gynecomastia involves the removal of fat and excess breast tissue through a cannula.  It is extremely important that the surgeon has the proper surgical instruments, as a “regular” liposuction cannula is not strong enough to remove the male breast tissue.  I prefer to not make any incisions around the nipple/areolar complex so my patients do not have visible scars.  With gynecomastia surgery, the results will be immediate, and patients have little downtime. There can be a bit of swelling afterwards that slightly obscures the final result, but even with the swelling, my patients see an improvement as soon as I remove their compression garments.  For optimal results you should have an in-person evaluation.  I suggest you contact a board certified plastic surgeon with experience as well as the proper surgical instruments. 

Following surgery, your incisions will go through a
maturation process. For the first few months they will be red and possibly
raised and/or firm. As the scar matures, after 6-12 months, it becomes soft,
pale, flat, and much less noticeable. You may experience numbness, tingling,
burning, “crawling”, or other peculiar sensations around the surgical area.
This is a result of the healing of tiny fibers which are trapped in the
incision site. These symptoms will disappear. Some people are prone to keloids,
which is an abnormal scar that becomes prominent. If you or a blood relative
has a tendency to keloid formation, please inform the doctor.Bruising and #swelling are normal and usually increase slightly after the removal of any tape or foam. The bruising will decrease over 3-4 weeks, but may last as long as 6 weeks. The majority of the swelling will be gone within the first 3-4 weeks. However, it may take 6-9 weeks to disappear completely. Also, as you heal, the area may feel “lumpy” and irregular. This, too, decreases with time, and massaging these areas will help soften the scar tissue. The #compression garment helps reduce the swelling, and the longer it is worn, the more quickly you will #heal. It can also assist in the retraction of the skin. If you have any concerns about #healing, its best to ask questions of your surgeon or their nursing staff.

It is too early to tell. It is recommended to wait 6-9 months before considering a revision. Please give it some more time. 

Standard liposuction will remove FAT not breast.  The results are suboptimal correction because breast still remains.  I always combine aggressive chest wall liposuction with glandular excision.  A small incision is made (camouflaged around arealo) to remove the actual breast.  Without excision, you will have breasts after lipo.

You are very early in the recovery period after liposuction and gynecomastia reduction.  Give it more time before evaluating the outcome of your surgery.  Communicate your concerns with your surgeon.  Good luck and be safe.John T. Nguyen, MD, FACS, FICSDouble Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

 

                  Liposuction
is frequently used to treat gynecomastia when the amount of glandular breast
tissue present is minimal. It’s not unusual for patients to note significant
swelling in the immediate post-operative period when this technique is
utilized.

                  It
may take up to six weeks to see noticeable changes in the breast and up to six
months to see the final result. Post-operative compression garments and massage
can facilitate healing.

                  It’s
not unusual to have the type of swelling that you describe in the early
post-operative period. Consultation with your plastic surgeon should provide
you with the reassurance that you need. 

I have found that liposuction alone only works completely in about 20% of cases. Most of the time a good portion of the excess breast tissue is glandular and is not easily removed with liposuction techniques. i use Ultrasonic Assisted liposuction which helps a great deal more but in a majority of cases the stubborn tough tissue needs to be directly excised. i am usually able to do this with a small scar placed off to the side of the chest. Others frequently use a scar placed along the lower border of the areola. You should see the results right away though it takes a good 3 months to see the final results.

Liposuction for gynecomastia can produce a significant improvement in breast shape, volume, and skin redundancy. It plays a smaller role in very large male breasts that sag. Results are seen within one week as the swelling from surgery subsides. Ultrasound and laser assisted liposuction also cause skin shrinkage.

It seems that every couple of years a new technology arises that generates much enthusiasm for minimally invasive gynecomastia treatment. 10 years ago, it was ultrasonic liposuction but I have found that achieving the best results still requires direct excision.
I believe the same will be true for laser lipolysis. While it may work for mild cases alone, I still believe that glandular excision will be necessary to achieve a "flat" chest.

Liposuction by any technique will not remove the fibroglandular tissue that can contribute to gynecomastia. If anything, an aggressive removal of all subcutaneous fat will act to hilight the remaining gland centered under the areola. Three weeks is too early to predict a final result, but future excisional surgery may prove to be of benefit.