Will gynecomastia surgery negatively affect my tattoo? (photo)

Question

I am getting gynecomastia surgery on my chest (lipo and incision to remove gland). However, I have a large tattoo on my chest. Will gynecomastia surgery change the shape or design of my tattoo?

Earl Stephenson, Jr., MD, DDS, MBA · Answer

Thank you for your picture.  It appears that liposuction would be the most effective treatment for your gynecomastia.  This will not affect your tattoo.  Best wishes

Robert M. Tornambe, MD · Answer

erzfdjf.   While physical exam is optimal, It appears that you have modest gynecomastia with little redundant skin.  Treatment with liposuction alone is a good option and should have no effect on your tattoo. Be sure to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon. Good luck!

Nicholas A. Flugstad, MD · Answer

Great question. Using most common methods of liposuction with possible gland removal, your tattoo should be fairly undisturbed. Your surgeon may need to place an incision on your chest to remove excess gland, but this can generally be very well hidden. Discuss exact incision placement and exact surgical plan with your surgeon. If you are confused or uncomfortable, go ahead and get another opinion from an American Board of Plastic Surgery certified surgeon.

Sean Doherty, MD, FACS · Answer

It's going to depend on what you have done. If you are having liposuction alone, then no, the tattoo should be fine. If you have to excise any tissue, it could affect the tattoo. The best person to answer this question would actually be your surgeon. Best of luck.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

I think the surgery will only affect the scar if only the gland is being excised. It does not look like you will need skin removed, based upon your photo.

Elliot W. Jacobs, MD · Answer

First, you do appear to have gynecomastia and would benefit from surgery.

Surgery will remove all the excess tissues under the skin -- and then the skin will spontaneously shrink during the actual operation.  It should have no effect on the tattoo on the upper chest -- but there might be a slight shrinkage of the tattoo on the lower chest.  Just imagine a circle drawn on a blown up balloon -- and then let the air out.  The circle will shrink.  And so too will the tattoo -- a bit.

For further info and answers to your questions, please refer to my website, which is exclusively devoted to gynecomastia.  It is captioned below.

Elliot Jacobs, MD, FACS
New York City

David L. Cangello, MD, FACS · Answer

Liposuction and glandular removal  should not effect your tattoo! Your skin should contract back nicely and your tattoo will likely be unchanged. Hope this helps.

Robert L. Kraft, MD, FACS · Answer

Lioosuction alone would not affect the tattoo. A glandular excision is more likely to alter the lower quadrant.

J. Michael Morrissey, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

Thank you for your question and photo. The answer depends on how the surgery is performed. The traditional approach is through a curvilinear incision on the bottom half of the areola. We have found that this incisions scars unpredictably and would definitely affect the tatto. Our approach is to make the incision in the axilla where a straight line incision will heal predictably and is not visible when the arms are at your side. Talk to your surgeon about his or her operative approach so you will have no surprizes. 
Best wishes.Dr. Morrissey

Jay M. Pensler, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Lots of patients have a tattoo on the chest and gynecomastia surgery does not negatively impact the tattoo. The shape of the underlying tissue is flatter and "normalized" in the postoperative period so the tattoo lies differently but this is I think a positive.

Will gynecomastia surgery negatively affect my tattoo? (photo)

Answers (12)

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