Beauty authority, Allure magazine noted recently that male breast reduction surgery is on the rise. The magazine quoted the statistics on male breast reduction surgery from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) as we did in our previous blog.
Allure magazine highlights the latest in fashion, beauty products, and newest trends in cosmetic plastic surgery. The magazine noted that according to ASPS statistics for 2015 of the 68,106 breast reduction procedures that were performed, over 40% were for men. This is the first time that the numbers have been so high for men. Allure cites past president of ASPS, Scot Glasberg that the stigma for cosmetic surgery for men has been lifted, and attributes that to reality shows and social media.
The motivation for breast reduction surgery is quite different for men and women. Women have been seeking breast reduction surgery for decades. Most women are looking for relief from heavy breasts that cause back, neck and shoulder pain, and the desire to be able to buy clothes off the rack. Men, however, find female type breasts humiliating and will wear clothing that best hides their chest.
There are varying degrees of gynecomastia for men; the mild cases are usually men who work out and want a more toned appearance with their pecs more prominent not hidden behind breast tissue and fat. The men with more moderate to severe male breasts want to look normal and feel confident if they are in a situation where they might want to remove their shirt such as the beach, pool, sports, or intimate situations. Previously, most men were not aware that there was a surgical solution to their condition. Apparently as more men are becoming aware of male breast reduction surgery, the numbers are climbing rapidly!
Also, men are encouraged to pursue surgery as they learn the recovery period is short and will allow them to return to work in just a few days. The compression vest that needs to be worn for about six weeks is easily hidden under their shirts.
American Society of Plastic Surgeons Report 2015 Statistics, Each year the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reports statistics on the amount of cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries performed. ASPS have over 7,000 surgeons which make them the most prominent group of Board Certified Plastic Surgeons, and the leading experts of information on aesthetic and reconstructive surgery.
Recently, the statistics for 2015 were published and reflect an overall increase of 2% over 2014. There were 15.9 million procedures performed in 2015; this is a combination of surgical and minimally invasive treatments. Of the surgical procedures, breast reduction surgery was at an all-time high of 68,106. Surprisingly, for the first time, male breast reduction represented more than 40% of this total with 27,456 performed. This is an increase of 5% over 2014!
Gynecomastia specialist, Miguel Delgado, M.D. reports that he has seen an increase in his gynecomastia practice each year. Dr. Delgado attributes the rise of surgery to the diminished stigma of men seeking cosmetic surgery. Additionally, now there is an abundant amount of information available to men via the internet (and in particular on this site!) Be sure to check out the tab on Gynecomastia 101 for information on such topics as:
• Adolescent gynecomastia
• Adult gynecomastia
• Steroid-induced gynecomastia
• Pseudogynecomastia
• And much more!
For personalized information about gynecomastia plastic surgery procedures, please complete Dr. Delgado’s inquiry form.
You may be aware by reading the forums on this site that some patients have complications with their gynecomastia surgery. There are several precautions that male breast reduction patients can take to minimize their risk factors. Why Smoking Threatens the Gynecomastia Patient?
Probably the most important step for a successful surgery is to pick the right surgeon. Be sure to select a surgeon that is not only Board Certified in Plastic Surgery, but one who also specializes in gynecomastia surgery. Get more than one consultation, be sure to look at multiple before and after pictures of the surgeon’s patients, and read online reviews of each doctor.
The surgeon that you select will most likely have extensive pre and post-operative instructions for you to follow. For example, there will be many supplements, herbs, medications and vitamins that you need to avoid for two weeks before and two weeks after surgery. The reason you need to discontinue these items is because they contain blood thinners. If the blood is too thin and does not clot easily, you may end up with a bleeding problem or a hematoma which may require an additional procedure to get it under control.
If gynecomastia patients understands the reason for certain precautions, they may be more likely to follow the surgeon’s warning. Cigarette smoking can be dangerous to patients. Most surgeons will not perform surgery until the patient has stopped smoking for a minimum of two weeks before and two weeks after surgery. Smoking is extremely addictive and trying to quit can be quite challenging, patients may be tempted to have just one cigarette here and there. Unfortunately, all it takes is just one cigarette to put a patient in jeopardy.
Hopefully by explaining how smoking interferes with surgery and healing, patients will be motivated to abstain or postpone surgery until smoking is not an issue.
Cigarettes contain hundreds of ingredients, many of which are poisonous. Along with nicotine, there is carbon monoxide, nitric oxide, and hydrogen cyanide, just to name a few. Oxygen is the basis for wound healing by repairing and building cells; oxygen also carries medications and antibiotics to the affected area. Smoking will deprive the body of oxygen by narrowing the blood vessels.
WebMD offers different approaches to help smokers to quit. Talk to your surgeon who may have suggestions such as; prescription medications like Chantix. The goal of gynecomastia surgery could be a great reward for yourself once you have stopped smoking.
Reasons for Gynecomastia Revision Surgery, Men who have made the decision to have male breast reduction surgery have found it can be a life changing event. They no longer have to try to hide their chest in loose fitting clothing or hunch their shoulders together. Social events are broadened to include all types of beach, pool and sports activities that may require a man to remove his shirt.
This new lease on life can be dashed if the surgical outcome is not what was expected. Some post-operative results are so disappointing that they will require a revision or “redo” surgery. Needing a revision can be complicated as now there is scar tissue the surgeon must contend with, and the elasticity of the skin may be somewhat compromised. Additionally, the patient will be faced with more surgical fees and another recovery period.
The most common cause of gynecomastia revision surgery is the repeated error of surgeons attempting to reduce the male breast with liposuction alone. True gynecomastia is a combination of fat and breast tissue, removing only the fat by liposuction will leave the breast tissue looking, even more, pronounced. There are many fancy names for “new” liposuction machines, but breast tissue is just too dense to be effectively removed through the cannula of the liposuction machine.
My gynecomastia practice is now at 40% revision surgery, most of the cases are where liposuction alone was done. Some fat must be left to be a buffer to allow the skin to move over the muscle, if too much fat and tissue are removed, it will lead to the second cause of gynecomastia revision surgery, the crater deformity.
The crater deformity is where there is a depression (or crater) under the nipple/areola complex from over resection of the fat and gland. To correct the crater deformity, the surgeon needs to do a fat transfer or a fat flap.
Other revisions include asymmetry, scar revisions, etc., to avoid the necessity of male breast reduction revision surgery choose your gynecomastia surgeon very carefully, do your homework! It takes a skilled gynecomastia specialist to shape and contour the male breast for a pleasing result. Make sure your surgeon is Board Certified in Plastic Surgery and specializes in gynecomastia. Ask to see before and after pictures of the surgeon’s patients.
For personalized information about gynecomastia plastic surgery procedures, please complete Dr. Delgado’s inquiry form.
Michele Garber, the host of the Nip/Tuck radio show recently interviewed San Francisco Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Miguel Delgado, M.D. The interview addressed many aspects of gynecomastia. Dr. Delgado has been a gynecomastia specialist since 1989 and was able to answer all of her questions regarding the embarrassing condition of man boobs.
Michele obviously did her homework in researching gynecomastia as was evidenced by her thought provoking questions. She was interested in knowing what causes gynecomastia and what surgical options are available for men.
Some significant topics covered were:
If a man has surgery, can the male breasts come back?
What age is best for surgery?
Are there other options besides surgery?
Are there risks associated with the use of steroids?
Is liposuction by itself effective?
Is it necessary to be evaluated by an endocrinologist?
Additionally, Miguel Delgado, M.D. states that for some young men their male breasts remain well after puberty making surgery the only option for removal. However, he says that young men have the best outcome as their skin is still quite elastic. Further in the interview it is revealed that older men tend to develop breasts due to age factors or gaining weight. Dr. Delgado also warns men that various drugs, legal or illegal, have been known to cause gynecomastia.
