Dr. Mordcai Blau – Gynecomastia Surgery Blog

Different kinds of gynecomastia by Dr. Mordcai Blau

Did you know that there are three kinds of gynecomastia? There is pure true gynecomastia, which is caused by a large breast gland most common in athletes and body builders , there is peudogynecomastia, which is often cause by excessive weight but may also be hereditary and is characterized by fatty tissue deposits in the breast area, and the third one which is the most common kind of gynecomastia is a combination of enlarged breast tissue(breast gland) and Fatty tissue deposits.
Psuedogynecomastia is characterized by a large amount chest fat as opposed to excess breast tissue. . As the increase in chest fat may be hereditary or due to excessive weight it is important that the patient try to lose weight by managing diet and exercise before attempting surgery. If weight loss attempts do nothing to ameliorate the effects of gyneocomastia, then one should consider consulting a plastic surgeon. Pseudogynecomastia is often treated by using liposuction, in which negative pressure will suck out the excess fatty tissue. When the third, kind of gynecomastia which is a combination of both true and psuedogynecomastia is treated surgical treatment should be a combination of the breast gland excision (which is an essential to ensure a successful outcome) and liposuction of excess fatty tissue.

On the other hand, true gynecomastia, which is caused by excess breast gland(larger gland), results in a hard swelling underneath the nipple-areola complex, giving the appearance of a woman-like breast. The exact cause of true gynecomastia is not always known. However, researchers have determined some strong correlations. Gynecomastia can be found more frequently in males who consume high levels of marijuana or alcohol, or use a large amount of drugs like Digoxin Effexor, Motrin, Pepsides , foxglove and many other drugs. Smaller percentage of gynecomastia sufferers have low testosterone and higher levels of estrogen on average. It is also more prevalent in males who use steroids or steroids like substances. In order to treat true gynecomastia, the surgeon must excise most of the breast gland, tipically over 90% of the breast tissue.
According to Dr. Mordcai Blau, it is crucial to seek out a plastic surgeon with expertise in gynecomastia, as a surgeon who removes too little of the breast gland will result in a reoccurrence(According to the medical literature in 10-35% of the surgical patients) and a surgeon who removes excessive tissue may cause concavity of the nipple-areola complex. Consulting a plastic surgeon with little experience with gyneocomastia-related surgeries could result in a misdiagnosis and a resurgence of gynecomastia as the two are treated in somewhat differing manners. Using the incorrect ,or insufficient technique could result in the need for revision surgeries, and the symptoms can continue to persist, so it is important to understand the differences between the three.