The enlargement and clarification of male breasts due to both lubrication and hormonal reasons is called gynecomastia. The development of the chest muscles is not defined as gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia often occurs due to hormonal imbalances. The side effects of drugs that cause psychological stress can sometimes cause gynecomastia. It is seen in 40% between the ages of 10 and 16, when hormonal changes intensify in men. 75% of gynecomastia cases that occur during adolescence resolve on their own within two years, and 90% within three years. When the hormonal balance in the body is restored at the end of adolescence, most gynecomastia resolves on its own. A very small number of cases may not improve. Gynecomastia, which is seen in advanced ages, usually occurs due to the accumulation of fat in the chest area.
Causes of Gynecomastia
There are three life periods in which gynecomastia is considered normal: neonatal period, adolescence period and advanced old age. The main reason for the formation of gynecomastia in all of these periods is that the female hormone circulating in the blood is more than the male hormone. The reason for gynecomastia in the newborn period is the high amount of the female hormone passed from the mother while the baby is in the mother’s womb, in the blood of the baby boy. During puberty, the female hormone level may be relatively higher than the male hormone. In old age, the level of male hormone decreases in men, which leads to a relatively higher level of female hormones.
The breast consists of 2 main tissues: adipose tissue and mammary glands. Gynecomastia is classified according to the increase in these tissues and the treatment method is determined. In gynecomastia, called the glandular type, the growth originates from the mammary glands. In gynecomastia, which is called the adipose type, growth occurs due to an increase in adipose tissue. The type in which both adipose tissue and mammary glands grow together is called the compound type.
Gynecomastia Treatment
Since most of the gynecomastia cases that occur during adolescence resolve on their own, they do not require special treatment. The type of treatment applied in gynecomastia cases that do not resolve on their own within 3-4 years is surgery.
Gynecomastia Operation
The technique of gynecomastia surgery varies according to which tissue has grown as a result of gynecomastia. In gynecomastia caused by the enlargement of the mammary glands, the enlarged parts of the mammary glands are removed and the excess is removed. In gynecomastia, which occurs as a result of the increase in adipose tissue, liposuction is performed. In people with very large breasts, a stretching procedure should also be applied to the skin in order to remove the excess remaining in the skin after the fat is removed.
Gynecomastia operation can be performed under local or general anesthesia. The type of anesthesia to be applied is decided by looking at your age and breast size. The duration of the operation takes an average of 1-1.5 hours. After gynecomastia surgery, you can leave the hospital in the evening of the same day or the next day. There is not much pain after the surgery, so you can continue your daily life normally. You can take a bath 2-3 days after the operation and return to business life.
