Gynecomastia

The first consultation is essential to understand your request and your motivations. A preliminary clinical examination and a precise questioning will allow our specialist to define the most appropriate type of surgery for your case.

The cause of gynecomastia needs to be identified. This will be decisive on the type of surgery to adopt.

In obese or overweight men, a diet associated with physical exercise is recommended because weight loss can cause gynecomastia to regress or even disappear.

Depending on the anatomical context and your wishes, an operating strategy will be decided. The operative technique and the location of the scars will be discussed during the consultation.

A preoperative check-up will be carried out in accordance with the prescriptions.

In some cases, the gynecomastia surgery takes place on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia , but most often local anesthesia under sedation may be sufficient .

The choice of the technique will be made between you, your anesthesiologist and your surgeon.

A consultation with your anesthesiologist will take place a few days before your procedure.

Your surgeon will adapt his operating strategy according to your particular case in order to obtain the best possible result. The aim of corrective surgery is to restore normal anatomy as well as possible, reducing breast volume by direct surgical excision (subcutaneous mastectomy) for glandular forms, or by liposuction for fatty forms.

In the case of mixed forms, the surgeon can combine the two techniques. If needed, the surgeon will then reduce the excess skin. Generally, the decrease in glandular volume will automatically lead to skin retraction. This cutaneous retraction is favored by liposuction and is quicker when the man is young and his skin of good quality.

Certain post-operative gestures such as massages will favour skin retraction. When the gynecomastia and the excess skin are important, the surgeon may need to make longer and therefore more visible scars. These scars can be hidden inside or around the areola, and sometimes extend on either side of it.

In extreme cases the surgeon may have to graft the areola and the nipple. Other types of scars are possible depending on each particular case. Sometimes, a drain might be put in place.

This drain is used to evacuate blood and lymphatic residues that could accumulate at the level of the operating site. At the end of the operation, a “modeling” dressing is applied, often combined with an elastic bandage.

The duration of the intervention will depend on each case, its duration is approximately 1 to 2 hours.

The postoperative course of gynecomastia can sometimes be painful during the first few days. An analgesic treatment will reduce the pain.

In the area of liposuction, the patient may feel sensations similar to strong aches. Edema (swelling), ecchymoses (bruises) and difficulty raising the arms are common in the early stages.

The first dressing is removed after a few days. It is then replaced by a lighter dressing. The initial dressing is compressive, and will soon be replaced by a lighter dressing combined with a compression vest to be worn day and night for a limited period of time.

This compression favors skin retraction and promotes uniform healing. The total duration of work stoppage varies from two to ten days. It is recommended to wait at least one month before resuming sports activity.

Manual lymphatic drainage from the first days, followed by drainage by Endermologie® will will accelerate the resorption of edema and optimize healing.

The improvement is clear and immediate . However, a period of two to three months is necessary to assess the final result. This is the time required for the post-operative edema to disappear and for the excess skin to retract. Beyond this period, the tissues will gradually gain in flexibility.

The decrease in breast volume provides physical comfort. The result is very beneficial on a psychological level because gynecomastia is often considered an alteration of virility.

The result is generally stable in time. For purely glandular forms, recurrence is rare.

However, significant weight gain may be accompanied by a new increase in breast volume .

The goal of this surgery is to bring an improvement and not to achieve perfection. If your wishes are realistic, the result should give you great satisfaction.