Gynecomastia Affects Posture, Many men attempting to hide their gynecomastia breasts may roll their shoulders and even tip their spinal cord forward. Ultimately, this poor posture may have many detrimental effects such as; back and neck pain, and misalignment of their skeleton, and even digestive and breathing problems.
Slouching shows a lack of self-confidence, insecurity, and weakness which may affect personal relationships and job prospects. With continued slouching, the joints, ligaments, and cartilage may become inflamed and then the body will react to the stress by producing cortisol. When there is excess cortisol produced in the body, the production of testosterone will be reduced, resulting in additional complications.
Standing straight counteracts the pull of gravity. Bad posture will affect energy expenditure and as mentioned hormone production.
It is challenging to correct bad posture, but men who have male breast reduction surgery have new found confidence that encourages them to stand tall and proud.
Risperdal Lawsuits Accelerate, In 1993 the FDA approved the use of Risperdal for the treatment of autism, bipolar mania, and schizophrenia. However, it became evident that the drug had some serious side effects including the development of breasts in boys and men.
Lawsuits are increasing against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson and the manufacturer of the drug. The public has become aware of the drugs side effects through massive television advertising, by attorneys looking for more men to represent. In addition, Johnson and Johnson has canceled the “tolling agreement” which pauses or cancels the statute of limitations and allows potential claimants the opportunity to file legal action. Thus the Philadelphia courts are bogged down with an increase of over 3,000 cases in the first quarter of 2017, bringing the total to over 5,000 now pending.
To date, of the cases that have made it to trial, Janssen has lost 4 of the 8 cases. In 2016 one claimant was awarded $70 million, plus another $7 million due to a delay in proceedings.
Johnson and Johnson has been accused of non-disclosure of serious side effects to doctors, parents and the public. In November 2013, Johnson and Johnson plead guilty to aggressive marketing, off label use, and paying doctors kickbacks; they paid fines totaling $2.2 billion.
Surprisingly, the drug remains on the market, and in fact, sales increased 1.6% over 2016 with a first-quarter sales report for 2017 of $17.8 billion. There is some debate about the benefits versus the side effects; meanwhile, the drug is still being prescribed.
Asymmetry and Gynecomastia, When a man has too much estrogen stored in his body, female type breasts may develop. In most cases when breasts develop, they are mostly the same size and shape. However, it is possible for breasts to be different sizes or possibly only one breast will develop. Asymmetric breast development can cause even more distress for men than symmetric gynecomastia.
It is normal to have some asymmetry, but when it is obvious, it may cause shame and embarrassment. A gynecomastia specialist can correct asymmetry with liposuction and removal of some breast tissue.
Asymmetry can happen during male breast reduction surgery if complications should arise, or lack of experience by the surgeon. Unfortunately, this will require revision surgery, but in the right hands, the result can be very satisfying.
About 40% of Dr. Delgado’s gynecomastia practice is revision cases where the patient had surgery by another surgeon. Most revisions are a correction of “crater deformity” where too much fat and/or tissue was removed. Some revisions are because not enough fat/or tissue was removed.
In the before and after pictures below is a 43 year old man who was not satisfied with his original surgery done by another surgeon. Dr. Delgado removed 350cc’s of fat on the right side, and 375cc’s of fat on the left side to obtain a symmetric chest.
If you have chosen to undergo male breast reduction surgery to correct enlarged male breasts, it is understandable that you may have questions regarding the procedure. Understanding what to expect after gynecomastia surgery can help to ease anxiety and make you feel more comfortable about the experience.
The goal of this procedure, of course, is to correct gynecomastia, reduce the size of the male breast and to leave a masculine-contoured chest. Removing too much breast tissue may result in a “crater deformity” and may necessitate further surgery. If not enough excess tissue is removed, additional surgery may also be needed. It is important to choose a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who specializes in gynecomastia to ensure you see the best possible results.
What to Expect After Your Male Breast Reduction Procedure
After surgery, you will most likely be wearing a compression garment to help support the new chest contour and avoid complications. You will also have drains in place. After two or three days the drains will be removed. The sutures are usually removed after one week. The compression vest is to be worn 24/7 for six weeks and is only to be removed when showering. Showering is allowed when the drain incisions have completely closed in about two to three days after removal. When the vest is removed, men need to understand what they see is not the final result of their male breast reduction. The incisions around the bottom half of the areola are evident, but when they have healed, they are almost invisible due to the change in skin texture.
The drain incision, which is very small, can leave a visible scar on the side of the chest. However, sensitive to men’s comments about the drain scar, Dr. Miguel Delgado now positions the drain incision high in the armpit area and is well hidden. Viewing the chest at the early healing stage can be very disconcerting for many patients.
Swelling is normal after any cosmetic or plastic surgery procedure and is part of the natural healing process, it can last for several weeks, and some residual swelling can last several months. Swelling occurs to increase blood supply to the surgical area; this is to bring extra nutrients that promote healing. The inflammation also helps fight off infections. However, excess swelling and inflammation need to be watched closely for a possible hematoma, an abnormal collection of blood outside of a blood vessel.
When viewing your surgical results a few days after surgery, do not be alarmed if your chest still looks full. As the swelling subsides, the true contour of the chest will become evident, and the ability to go shirtless will finally be a reality. According to many postings on the website RealSelf.com, it is clear that many men are concerned about their puffy nipples after surgery. This has the potential of becoming a problem if all the swelling has subsided. Usually, if puffy nipples remain, it is an indication that not enough breast tissue was removed from behind the nipple, especially if liposuction alone was performed and there wasn’t any excision of breast tissue. This can be corrected but entails another surgery. Choose your gynecomastia surgeon carefully!
Schedule a Consultation
If you are interested in learning more about gynecomastia surgery in San Francisco, please contact Dr. Delgado’s office today. Your first step will be to schedule a one on one consultation to determine the best plan of action for you to achieve the desired result.
Gynecomastia San Francisco FAQs
What can I expect during my initial consultation?
During your consultation appointment with Dr. Delgado, you will discuss your medical history and any current medical conditions, and a physical exam may be performed. He will then speak with you regarding which surgical procedure is right for you to achieve optimal results.
What causes gynecomastia in males?
There are an array of possible causes of gynecomastia. The most common cause is a hormonal imbalance between estrogen and testosterone. However, anabolic steroids and certain medications can also cause excess breast tissue and glandular tissue in males.
What is false gynecomastia?
False gynecomastia, also called pseudo gynecomastia, is a term used to describe enlarged breasts in males due to weight gain. This condition can commonly be corrected with weight loss from a healthy diet and exercise.
Gynecomastia and Parabens, For many years it was believed that parabens as a preservative were safe. Manufacturers loved parabens because they are cheap, stable, and effective. Parabens have been used for decades and give products a long shelf life. They have been used extensively in toiletries and in food. In the late 1990’s new data was beginning to surface showing negative reactions to parabens.
Parabens mimic estrogen, the female hormone. Men who get high concentrations of parabens may find their muscle mass is lower, and that they gain more body fat, and develop breasts. Research in Japan has shown damage to men’s reproductive system, low sperm count, and a reduction in testosterone levels. More disturbing is that damage was noted at doses much lower than the accepted daily intake.
Scientists in Denmark discovered that propylparaben and butylparaben have estrogenic properties as potent as bisphenol-A, a petrochemical that is used in making plastics.
In 2006, Europe outlawed the use of parabens in food, on the other hand, it is found today in over 50 snacks in the United States.
Reading labels for what you put in your body is important, but also what you put on your
body, such as deodorants, lotions, shampoo, shaving cream, anything that is applied to the skin.
Parabens are easy to identify when reading labels, all of them end in “paraben” some of them are:
• Methylparaben
• Propylparaben
• Ethylparaben
• Butylparaben
• Benzylparaben
To avoid exposure, one of the easiest steps you can take is to read the labels of all personal products and choose all-natural toiletries. A little more difficult to avoid are parabens in food. Whenever possible, you should select whole foods and reduce the amount of processed food like cured meat and packaged pastries.
