What is gynecomastia? What kind of problems do men experience?
In medical terms, "gynecomastia" is when the male breast grows larger than normal, even excessively, causing a feminine body appearance. Gynecomastia originates from the Latin words Gynec: Woman, Mastia: Breast. In men of growing age, there may be some growth in breast tissue as a result of hormonal changes. It can be single or double sided. This type of gynecomastia is seen in boys aged 13-15 and in 90% of cases it regresses within a few years. Generally, enlarged breast tissue regresses and returns to normal size within 1-3 years at the end of the developmental period. But sometimes breast tissue cannot stretch. Sometimes it may change due to weight gain or loss for an unknown reason.
With the arrival of the summer months, this problem becomes more evident. Gynecomastia is a problem that men cannot accept and that shakes their self-confidence. It is an appearance problem that they usually try to hide and cannot do sports comfortably, or even swim in the pool or the sea, or sunbathe. These patients cannot wear tight t-shirts, go to the sea, or change in front of others. Even in the heat of summer, they try to camouflage themselves by wearing a jacket.
How is gynecomastia diagnosed?
I first examine people who come to our clinic with this complaint. Even though some of my patients do not really have gynecomastia but have a slight breast enlargement, they become seriously obsessed with this issue and experience serious problems. First of all, I question the history of gaining and losing weight recently. There are also some other reasons why breast tissue develops more than normal. For example, hormone-secreting tumors can lead to the development of breast tissue. In a middle-aged patient with sudden breast tissue growth, hormone levels and tumor markers (substances that indicate the presence of a tumor) should be checked, and an examination should be carried out for the possibility of a hormone-secreting tumor in the body. Apart from this, hepatitis, cirrhosis, lung cancer, lung diseases, cancers of some organs, thyroid gland diseases, testicular diseases, heroin or similar drug use, steroid use to gain weight or build muscle, and the use of some medications also cause gynecomastia. Sometimes gyno The cause of mastitis cannot be found. In young men, breast tissue consists mostly of fibrous tissue and mammary gland tissue, while in adults it consists mostly of fatty tissue. Therefore, breast tissue may also grow along with weight gain in older ages.
Can you talk about the treatment of gynecomastia?
There is no proven drug treatment for gynecomastia patients. The treatment is surgery. I first have breast ultrasound performed on patients who are suitable for surgery. “This diagnostic method shows plastic surgeons whether the growth in breast tissue consists of fatty tissue or glandular tissue. As a result of breast USG, if the breast size is caused by fatty tissue. My patients can first solve their problems with exercise or weight loss.” trying to fix it states that he does not recommend surgery for obese or overweight men. I see that when these patients lose significant weight, sometimes there is no need for surgery. My real gynecomastia patients do not want to lose weight, claiming that the image of their breasts attracts more attention as they lose weight.
Local or general anesthesia may be preferred depending on the patient's clinic. If there is excess fat tissue in the breast, surgery is combined with liposuction and liposuction is performed first. In the majority of patients, results can be achieved with liposuction alone. If liposuction is insufficient, excess breast tissue is removed by making a reverse semicircular incision around the nipple. In patients with severe gynecomastia, skin tissue may also need to be removed. All these processes take approximately 1 hour on average.
What should patients pay attention to after gynecomastia surgery?
Among plastic surgery surgeries, gynecomastia surgeries are one of the surgeries that make patients the happiest. Patients cannot have serious pain after surgery. A tight bandage or corset must be worn for about four weeks after the surgery. The stitch scars along the lower edges of the nipples are very thin and become too faint to be seen within a few weeks. Generally, in surgeries performed with liposuction, a 1 cm scar remains under the breast and decreases over time, leaving no scar around the breast. A day or two after the surgery, the person can return to work and take a shower a day later. Seams with self-dissolving thread There is no need to take stitches as it is applied with slits. At the end of two weeks, the patient can participate in all activities (sports, exercise) he wants. I check my patients every two weeks. Generally, using antibiotics and painkillers for 1 week is sufficient.
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