Male Breast Reduction Recovery

The majority of gynecomastia procedures (male breast reduction), in my practice in Hawaii, are combination of liposuction of the chest and direct excision of male breast tissue.  Recovery time for liposuction of the chest is normally 5 days out of the gym, and 3 weeks before one can go swimming again.  Usually, it is appropriate to stay home for a couple days to get off any pain medication before one returns to driving one's car.  The incision for the liposuction is in the lateral chest area and is sutured below the surface so that there are no stitches to remove.  If gland tissue is removed, this is done through a small incision just at the edge of the areola.  The sutures come out over a 7 day period, and one is normally back in the gym within 7-10 days.  Liposuction of the chest as well as gland excision both lead to scar tissue which responds well to a combination of DMSO and ultrasound (the kind physical therapists use for sore muscles).  A vest or tight rash guard is worn for approximately one month.  If this is done religiously 24/7, no surgical garments are required after that.  Normally, at about 6 weeks post operatively, a small bump of scar tissue occurs just under the nipple.  This can be eliminated with one or two injections of a corticosteroid.All in all, gynecomastia surgery recovery is about a 6-8 week project.  As a sidebar issue, I always send the gland from this surgery to pathology since male breast cancer is a reality and should always be checked. 

The good news is that in the majority of patients, recovery is extremely quick and virtually painless. I prefer to use the Lateral Pull Through technique which I tink also help reduce the recovery. patients who have a quiet, desk-type job can easily hve their surgery done on Friday and return to work on Monday. They must however keep a "low profile" and chill out for a week. They can resume exercise after two weeks and chest weights after three. No drains. You need to wear a compression vest beneath your clothes for three weeks. Final results are generally seen after three months.

There are numerous procedures described for gynaecomastia with a whole host of different scars involving liposuction, surgical excision or a combination of the two.  The recovery period depends a little on what you are having done.  You should be able to expect the scars to have healed within two weeks, but are likely to be a little bruised and swollen still at that point.  Most people are advised to wear a compression garment of some description for a few weeks, would be exercising again within 4 weeks, but probably won't feel quite back to normal for more like 6 weeks.  Gynaecomastia surgery is easy to get wrong so take your time, do your research and choose someone you trust.  Good luck!

The typical gynecomastia recovery is about a week (for most activities).  Patients can go out and about and can go out to dinner the day after surgery.  They rarely require pain pills for more than a day or two at most.  Most of my patients are back at work 2-3 days after their surgery, depending on their type of work.   I recommend no physical lifting of 10 lbs of weight or more for two weeks.  I allow patients to go back to the gym and lift weights and full cardio typically 2 weeks after surgery (with a compression vest).   The recovery can be a bit longer if skin excision is required.  

If the gynecomastia is treated with lipo and gland excision, usually is recommended to avoid heavy exercise (weight lifting/push ups) for about 3 to 4 weeks.  If the patient job is a sedentary (not involving lifting or heavy use of arms) Patient may return even 48 hours after surgery depending on their level of pain tolerance.  Truly you can even return day after surgery but you might have discomfort/pain due to inflammation. 

Minimal gauze
dressing is applied following the procedure and an easily concealed support
elastic garment is usually worn to minimize swelling and help skin to contract
for a 3-4 weeks following surgery. Sutures are typically removed within 7 to 10
days of surgery.

Patients engage
in gentle activities of daily living for the first 10 days. No aerobic exercise
for at least 3 weeks. Patients may take gentle walks after 10 days.

After the
initial healing, gentle massage will help reduce discomfort or firmness.#healing #recovery

The course of recovery, the pain, restrictions, and healing time vary depending upon the procedure and your surgeon.  There are no averages and you should follow the instructions of your surgeon.If only liposuction is required it is an easier and swifter process than if tissue needs to be cut out.In either case my patients are at work in a few days and are at the gym in about 3 weeks if they need an excision and 2 weeks if they just needed liposuction.

Generally speaking, pain will subside in a few days.  You will likely have drains in place for less than a week. These are removed in office without pain.   You will be wrapped for several weeks to allow skin to tighten.  This is a critical component of your care.  Wrap, wrap, wrap!  You can return to exercise in a few weeks. 

After surgery the patients are asked to take a week off from work.  After that, it is best to refrain from exercise for 1 month.

The typical recovery time for gynecomastia reduction is 2 weeks.  This recovery may be longer if skin excision is required.  In my practice, I ask patients to refrain from upper body exertion and wear a compression garment for 8 weeks.  Good luck and be safe.John T. Nguyen, MD, FACS, FICSDouble Board Certified Plastic Surgeon