Almost all men who undergo gynecomastia procedures do so because they feel self-consciousness, embarrassment and unhappy with the appearance of their chest particularly when undressed or wearing certain articles of clothing that tend to “hug” one’s frame and are looking for a change.
You may seek gynecomastia surgery if you:
- Are embarrassed by your “man boobs”: If the appearance of your chest causes you significant embarrassment or self-consciousness, especially in social situations, gynecomastia surgery could help alleviate these feelings by creating a flatter, more traditionally masculine chest contour.
- Have concerns about wearing tight-fitting shirts or the latest slimline shirt fashions: If you avoid wearing form-fitting or trendy clothing because it accentuates the appearance of your chest, surgery might help you feel more confident in a wider range of clothing styles.
- Are afraid to take your shirt off in front of someone you’re trying to impress or in general: If the thought of being shirtless, whether at the beach, the pool, or even in private with a partner, causes anxiety or fear, addressing gynecomastia through surgery can help improve your comfort and confidence in these situations.
- Dislike summer because you’re uncomfortable going shirtless or topless: If you find yourself dreading summer activities that typically involve being shirtless, such as swimming or sunbathing, due to discomfort or embarrassment about your chest, gynecomastia surgery could help you enjoy these activities more fully by providing a chest appearance that you feel more comfortable and confident with.
It is actually easier to determine if you good male breast reduction (gynecomastia) candidate, than it is to determine the exact cause of it. Your suitability for gynecomastia surgery will be determined during your consultation. Dr. Ishoo will perform a review of your medical history, a directed physical examination, then provide you with an honest assessment of your condition, discuss all aspects of the proposed procedure and realistic expectations of your surgical outcome and likely recovery course. At the Boston Gynecomastia Specialists, we are here to offer you support and guidance to help you make a decision that is right for you.
The Gynecomastia “Pinch Test”
When you come in for your consultation, Dr. Ishoo will do a “Pinch Test” as part of the physical assessment. You will be asked to lie on your back while the doctor uses his forefinger and thumb to examine the breast tissue. Doctors do this to check for a concentric, rubbery or firm mass of disk-shaped tissue, which is often movable (not fixed) and located directly beneath the areola. If the doctor finds such a tissue, then it’s an indication of true gynecomastia palpated. If not, then it is pseudogynecomastia.
Other tests can help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis. These include imaging tests such as a mamogram, which obtains a radiologic image of the breast tissue. There’s also a testicular ultrasound to check hormone levels, a breast ultrasound, and a CT scan.
Blood tests can also be ordered to assess the liver, kidney, and thyroid functionbecause problems in these organs can be an underlying cause. Hormone tests can also be done to determine the levels and balance of hormones.
If you exhibit symptoms of true gynecomastia, your doctor can assess its severity using a four-grade categorization as well as the additional components contributing to your gynecomastia stage.
Who is an ideal Candidate for Gynecomastia Surgery?
The best candidates for this procedure are those individuals with excessive breast tissue, fat, or skin, who are healthy and can physically and emotionally handle the recovery process. Simply wanting to have gynecomastia surgery doesn’t mean you automatically qualify for the procedure. To protect you and ensure you have a safe and fulfilling transformative experience, Dr. Ishoo requires all of his patients to meet the following criteria:
- Physical health: Generally healthy with no major medical conditions that could impede healing.
- Skin condition: Good skin elasticity with manageable skin excess.
- Weight management: Maintains a healthy weight and is not significantly overweight.
- Chronic Gynecomastia: Abnormally enlarged breast glands which have persisted despite weight fluctuations with diet and exercise for several years.
- Asymptomatic: No recent history of breast pain, discharge or other symptoms localized to chest.
- Smoking status: Non-smoker, non-drug user.
- Psychological impact: Feels self-conscious or distressed about the appearance of their chest.
- Stable breast development: Has finished puberty and breast size has stabilized.
- Realistic expectations: Understands the limitations of the surgery and has achievable goals and a positive outlook.
- Failed other treatments: Has tried non-surgical methods to address chronic medical conditions or discontinued medications contributing to gynecomastia, with limited success.
- Committed to proper recovery: Diligently follow post-operative instructions and return for follow-up visits as recommended.
- Good communicator: Must be able to easily communicate all needs, concerns and necessary information with our staff orally and in writing in a timely manner.
Who is Not a Good Candidate
The ideal male breast reduction candidate can quite simply be any man who feels self-conscious about his enlarged breasts. If the problem is treated by a gynecomastia specialist such as Dr. Ishoo, it can be effectively, safely and permanently corrected. Now having said that, there are certain situations, which can rule an individual out as a good male breast reduction candidate. Some of them include:
- prior medical history, which might put the patient at risk during surgery
- inability to quit smoking
- unable to stop taking certain medications
- unrealistic expectations
- psychological issues
It is important to know that gynecomastia is usually not associated with any serious medical problems. In fact, in most cases the cause is never identified. Having said that, there are some significant medical problems that do cause gynecomastia, which must be looked into further. To determine if your situation is treatable due to a specific medical reason, you must first visit your family doctor to investigate potential medical conditions causing the gynecomastia. When visiting with your primary doctor or a plastic surgeon it is important to list all the medications you are taking, as well as providing a complete medical history. Full disclosure is necessary. This cannot be stressed enough.
Understanding the various factors, which may compromise the result of gynecomastia correction are important to know. They commonly include:
- Severely Overweight Men – Although surgery will still improve gynecomastia when a man is severely overweight, the result will not be nearly as good as when he is within 30-40lbs of his ideal weight.
- Poor Skin Quality – In order for to achieve optimal results with gynecomastia surgery two important things must happen. The first is to remove the excess tissue and/or fat. The second is skin contraction. Once the bulky under layer is removed, the skin now has to work it’s way to contracting back. Some men do not have the skin quality necessary for this to happen. The reasons for this can be any of the following: men over the age of 50, men with significant sun damage, breasts with a lot of stretch marks, and men who have had gastric bypass or have lost excessive weight through other means.
If you are a male who is dissatisfied with the saggy, drooping appearance of your breasts, meet the candidacy criteria outlined above and are eager to see a powerful change to your physique, then gynecomastia surgery may be the next best step in reclaiming your masculine appearance. After you schedule your personal consultation, Dr. Ishoo will determine whether you are a good candidate for this procedure or if another approach is more suitable.
Benefits of Gynecomastia Surgery
Gynecomastia surgery, also known as male breast reduction, offers benefits such as significant improvement in not only physical appearance but also in overall physical and emotional health, allowing men to feel more comfortable in their bodies and participate in activities without self-consciousness. Key benefits include:
- It Enhances Confidence and Self-Esteem
Besides the obvious physical changes of gynecomastia comes not-so-obvious side effects. Hundreds of thousands of men who suffer from gynecomastia also suffer from depression due to their poor body image. Insecurities can also trigger social anxiety, which can make it harder to earn or ask for a raise at work, meet new people and take part in spontaneous activities, such as a trip to the pool or a pick-up game of basketball.
You may not even realize how much your gynecomastia is affecting your mental health. Our clients find that after their procedure they feel more comfortable in and out of their shirts and enjoy life much more. If you struggle to talk to women or wear a muscle shirt at the gym, male breast reduction may be just what you need to take back control of your life.
- It Offers a More Masculine Figure
Society has a very good idea of what men and women are supposed to look like. Women are supposed to have hips and a bust proportionate to each other and smaller than their waist. Men should have a toned, sculpted chest, large traps, bulky rhomboids, long lats, larger anterior delts and a torso that tapers down to the hips.
You can have perfectly toned back muscles, but strong, bulky pectoral muscles can pronounce the fact that you have the same glandular tissue in your chest as women do. One of the most significant benefits of breast reduction for gynecomastia treatment is the return to a masculine appearance.
If you’ve already done all the heavy loaded incline presses in the world, everyone will be able to see and appreciate the definition of your chest. Breast reduction for men may also include liposuction of the flanks to help you achieve the tapered, masculine look that women love. Start rowing or swimming to build your back muscles and nobody will ever know that you suffered from gynecomastia at one point. With just nine to 12 months in the gym, the future is yours.
- It Makes It Easier to Maintain a Healthy Weight
Not everyone with gynecomastia is overweight. But maintaining a healthy weight is incredibly difficult for men who suffer from the condition. All that excess adipose and glandular tissue can make physical activity uncomfortable or even painful.
Swimming, one of the best ways to maintain a healthy weight, cardiovascular system and pulmonary system, is too embarrassing for many men. Any sport involving running or jumping can lead to painful tissue bouncing. Compression shirts just don’t cut it, and there are no sports bras for men.
By removing excess skin, adipose and glandular tissue with breast reduction for men, you don’t just have the self-confidence to engage in calorie-torching activities. You’re also no longer held back by discomfort and pain. If you loved lacrosse or backyard football as a kid but find you can’t do it anymore, and you believe a smaller chest would allow you to get back into your favorite physical activities, you may be the perfect candidate for breast reduction for men.
- It Can Alleviate Physical Discomfort Such as Back Pain
Lower back pain isn’t just for women with significantly augmented breasts. Breasts can cause severe chronic back pain for men, too. If you have a substantial chest and don’t have the back muscles to support it, your upper spine can round extensively and become permanently disfigured. Over time, this causes a permanent hunch and chronic spinal pain. Depending on the severity of the gynecomastia and poor posture, the spinal pain can reach all the way down to the buttocks and low back region.
The worst part about spine pain is it worsens your posture is you can’t push past the pain to achieve proper posture. When your spine becomes deformed, proper posture becomes next to impossible. The strength of your entire core can be compromised, making you look reserved or withdrawn.
Who wants to approach someone who looks like he is terrified of talking to people? Some men ever bring this problem on themselves by slouching on purpose to minimize the appearance of their chest. With a smaller chest, you can stand straight, tall and proud, exuding confidence and approachability. With time, you can strengthen your weakened core and upper back muscles and alleviate back pain.
- It Frees Your Mind
When you’re self-conscious about your body, you can find the same few negative thoughts running through your mind constantly. Which shirts do I have in my closet that fit the most comfortably? Will this shirt hide my condition well enough for my board meeting today? Has she noticed my breasts? Is that guy on the treadmill staring at my chest? These thoughts are unproductive and just a few that men suffering from gynecomastia think about repeatedly throughout the course of the day.
Gynecomastia treated by male breast reduction will free your mind so you can think about the important things in life, like how comfortably all your shirts fit, how great your chest looks in all your shirts, how to tell the girl at the gym that you love the rims on her truck and how to outline to your supervisor all the contributions you’ve made over the past 18 months which mean you deserve a 10% raise. Don’t let intrusive thoughts about your chest keep you from achieving all your goals in life. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Steven Bloch, M.D. at Body By Bloch in Glenview, IL.
- It’s Right for Nearly Anyone
If you’re obese, we encourage you to try to lose weight before seeking breast reduction for gynecomastia treatment. You may be mistaking fatty tissue for glandular tissue. If your male breasts are caused by excess fat rather than glandular tissue, liposuction may be a better treatment than breast reduction. Ask your physician to help you create a diet and exercise program you can stick to until you get closer to a healthy body fat percentage.
Breast reduction for gynecomastia may also be wrong for you if you consume alcohol in excess, smoke marijuana or take anabolic steroids. However, if none of these apply to you, you’re in good general health, you have realistic expectations about the results and you don’t suffer from a blood disease, there is an excellent chance that you’re a good candidate for this procedure. During your initial consultation, we will review your lifestyle, medical history and health to determine if breast reduction or liposuction is right for you.
- The Procedure Is Quick
Breast reduction for gynecomastia is performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia and sedation or general anesthesia. This means you will feel no pain or discomfort during your procedure, you’ll be asleep the entire time and you can go home after a brief observation period on the same day as your procedure. The procedure itself only takes between 90 to 120 minutes, so you won’t even spend the whole day in our state-of-the-art facility for the entire day to improve the rest of your life.
During the procedure, an incision is made, usually around the nipple, to remove the glandular tissue and fat tissue from your breast. Depending on how much fat you need removed, liposuction may also be performed using the same incisions as were made for the breast reduction. Once all excess skin has been removed and the remaining skin has been tightened, the incisions are closed and the procedure is over.
- Recovery Is Quick
You will only need to take analgesics to mitigate the risk of discomfort for around 72 hours after your procedure. Wearing a compression garment for the first one to two weeks mitigates the risk of discomfort from swelling and speeds the recovery process. After a month, you are free to go back to any activity you previously enjoyed, including vigorous exercise, and countless activities you were previously too self-conscious or uncomfortable to enjoy.
While a month might seem like a long time to “be in recovery”, it’s really only heavy weight lifting that’s restricted for this extended time. Even better, you’ll only be out of work for at most seven calendar days. Besides, who doesn’t need a whole business week off from work to read and play video games?
- You’ll Enjoy Long-Lasting Results
The results of breast reduction for gynecomastia are considered permanent. Once the fat cells are removed from the chest, they cannot grow back. However, depending on genetics, you may find that if you gain a significant amount of fat in the future, the remaining fat cells in your chest will expand. If the initial trigger of your gynecomastia, such as hormonal imbalances, was accurately diagnosed and treated, you will not develop any more glandular tissue in your chest.
There are essentially four steps in ensuring permanent results from male breast reduction for gynecomastia treatment. First, diagnose and treat the cause of the gynecomastia if it is indeed glandular tissue and not excess adipose tissue. Second, maintain a healthy weight so there is no risk of fat cells in the chest expanding.
Third, abstain from smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol to excess. Fourth, do not take anabolic steroids unless prescribed by your doctor. If your doctor prescribes anabolic steroids, let him know of your history of gynecomastia and he may prescribe a medication that is safer for you.
- You’ll Have Unlimited Wardrobe Options
You can’t wear baggy shirts to the office, but you may have been shying away from tighter, better-fitting shirts. Now, you can shop with confidence for form-fitting shirts that aren’t several sizes too large for your stomach. You’ll feel more comfortable, look more confident and attract much more of the right kind of attention when you wear clothes that fit your new, masculine form after breast reduction for gynecomastia correction.
- You’ll Enjoy Enhanced Physical Engagement
Following the surgical procedure, individuals discover a newfound capacity to partake in physical activities and exercises, unhindered by gynecomastia’s constraints. With a chest that is both flatter and more sculpted, they can embrace fitness aspirations and outdoor escapades with revitalized zeal.
By understanding these benefits, individuals gain the assurance needed to make well-informed decisions regarding gynecomastia surgery. At the Boston Gynecomastia Specialists, our comprehensive approach encompasses various crucial stages. Starting from the initial consultation and extending through post-operative care, every phase is meticulously designed to ensure a secure, pleasant, and fulfilling experience for our patients.
At Boston Gynecomastia Specialists, we understand the profound influence that gynecomastia surgery can have on boosting self-assurance and enhancing overall quality of life. Our devoted team is committed to delivering tailor-made solutions and outstanding outcomes, empowering every fitness enthusiast throughout their transformative gynecomastia experience.
If you are in Boston or other nearby areas in New England, we invite you to schedule a personalized in-person consultation and take the first step.
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The Boston Gynecomastia Specialists is the premier Greater Boston Gynecomastia Center of Excellence. Our primary focus is on providing outstanding care throughout every step of your journey, from the first consultation to your full recovery. We recognize and appreciate the confidence you have in us and are unwavering in our commitment to maintaining the utmost level of patient care. Led by Dr. Edwin Ishoo, a highly skilled, board-certified surgeon with expertise and over 30 years’ experience in Male Breast Reduction, our dedicated team is fully committed to ensuring the best possible surgical outcomes tailored for each individual. Recognizing that every man is unique, we personalize our approach to meet your specific condition, needs and expectations. We welcome you to take that first step to achieving the transformation you have been imagining and contact the Boston Gynecomastia Specialists, the leading Gynecomastia Center in Boston, to meet with Dr. Ishoo for your personalized, in-person consultation and have your questions answered. Let us take the gynecomastia concern off your chest in a day and off your mind forever!
