Treatment Options
Male Gynecomastia
For males with excessive breast tissue, if the breasts have not started to diminish in size after one year and no etiology has been found, surgical removal of the excess tissue may be indicated. The daunting challenge in these cases is trying to minimize visible scarring on the chest. The fatty portion of the breast can generally be removed with liposuction techniques. However, the residual glandular stroma often requires direct excision. This stromal removal can generally be done by an incision that circumscribes or partially circumscribes the areola sometimes reducing its diameter as part of the procedure. When the skin of the breast has been stretched excessively, a skin reduction may also be required. This may be done in stages to avoid devascularization of the nipple and to minimize the visible scars. The case to the right is an example of a staged excision so as to avoid devascularization of the nipple.
Female Enlargement
So when do we consider the enlargement to have exceeded the norm? In general the normal female breast will weigh between 300 and 500 gms. Insurance companies have picked up on this and have made assumptions that if the breasts double in size(300-500 gms need to be removed), then over development has occurred and the patient will have physical benefit from the surgery. Now more sophisticated calculations based on age, height, and weight can be used to determine if the enlargement is weight related.Obviously, we like to see these young women in their normal weight range and with stabilized breast growth before treating breast enlargement. Sometimes weight gain and breast development continued after the surgery which can compromise the outcome.
Surgery is generally not recommended until breast size has stabilized for over a year or two. The primary negative associated with breast reduction are the resultant scars. In addition these young women must consider the fact that they will likely face pregnancy at which time they may not be able to breast feed and following which they will almost certainly have recurrent sagging and enlargement. Read more about Breast Reduction surgery.
Female Underdevelopment
There are a number of treatment opeions depending on the case we are presented with. Please review our Success Stories page to see some of our successful augmentations to treat breast deformities.
As you can see the consequence of breast maldevelopment can produce extreme social and psychological issues for these young women and men. We make every effort to be considerate of this vulnerable time in their lives and to find solutions for them.
