Gynecomastia
Cosmetic surgery of the body and limbs
Gynecomastia is a benign enlargement of breast tissue in males that occurs in 15 to 20% of men. It may be the result of a hormonal imbalance or the side effect of certain drugs. Since in more than 50% of the cases the etiology is unknown, the disorder is referred to as idiopathic gynecomastia. The breast enlargement may be due to an increase of the glandular or the fatty tisue, or both (so-called mixed type gynecomastia). If adipose tissue is the dominating factor contributing to the breast enlargement, a correction may be performed by the surgical procedure of liposuction alone. If glandular tissue is mostly responsible, a semicircular incision around the lower half of the areola enables the approach to the glandular tissue which is separated from the underlying tissue by resection and removed. The wearing of an elastic corset 4 weeks postoperatively is required; the recovery period varies from 7 to 14 days.