Swollen Areolas After Liposuction and Nipple Reduction

It’s not unusual for patients to experience swelling
following liposuction for male breast enlargement. The majority of swelling
resolves in four to six weeks, but may persist for up to six months.

                  The
use of compression garments and massage can help to minimize swelling and
shorten the recovery period following surgery. It’s important to start
compression immediately after surgery before the swelling gets started. Once
swelling occurs compression may not be as effective.

                  If
this problem persists beyond six months it may be more then residual swelling.
Under these circumstances unresected glandular breast tissue may be the
problem. This may ultimately require revisional surgery. It’s important that
you discuss these issues with your surgeon. He will be able to make an
appropriate recommendation.

Based on how you stated your question, and your photograph, I infer that preoperatively you only had swelling and/or fullness beneath the nipple/areola complex. This would mean that your degree of gynecomastia was minimal, and likely due to true glandular tissue being present and not just fatty tissue. With over twenty years of doing these procedures, I can tell you truthfully that liposuction alone, without direct excision of the fibrous, firm glandular tissue by your surgeon, will not correct your initial concern. Even when the swelling and scar tissue subside, you will still have the firm tissue beneath this area, minus a small amount of fat, plus a small amount of scar tissue = not much change. Compression helps with swelling or scar tissue, and is certainly appropriate and non-harmful, but compression will not get rid of the tissue that SHOULD have been removed by direct excision with blade and/or scissors. Liposuction all too often makes a minimal degree of improvement in patients with mostly glandular gynecomastia, and really works well only in patients who have mostly fatty "man-boobs," usually from being overweight. Mixed glandular/fatty gynecomastia requires a combination of direct excision plus liposuction techniques. BTW, ultrasonic or laser-assisted lipo may remove a bit more gynecomastia tissue, but still leaves the fibrous, glandular breast tissue and a less-than-happy patient.