Gynaecomastia is fully curable by surgery. Gynaecomastia or ‘Male Breasts’ or so called ‘man-boobs’ develop due to the presence of immature mammary glands in male chest area due to some hormonal imbalance at the time of puberty. Following the pattern of breast formation, some resistant fat may also get deposited around and between the glands. Below are answers to some of the most common queries received at our Gynaecomastia Surgery Clinic in Delhi India from boys suffering from Gynaecomastia or from their parents or guardians. Details are also mentioned at our website www.vitalclinic.com .
Why do some boys and men develop large Gynaecomastia like women?
Male Breast results from an imbalance between androgen (male hormone) and oestrogen (female hormone) activity. This development happens at 12-14 years of age. In some boys, there is a fall in male hormone at the time of puberty for a variable period, instead of a rise, for reasons still not known. The female hormones in the body are then unopposed by the male hormones. The visible effect of this is that boys develop mammary glands in their breasts. Once the glands are laid down in the breasts area, they do not regress. As the hormones stabilize, further development of the mammary glands stops. Male Breasts do not develop due to obesity (becoming fat). Obesity only increases the size of the breasts due to more fat deposition between and around the mammary glands.
Are male breasts present only in obese children or adults?
It is absolutely not true. A large number of boys who suffer from male breasts are in fact slim and athletic with little or no excess fat in their body. In fact many of them exercise regularly. Obesity causes more fat deposition in the breasts between and around the mammary glands. This causes a stretching of the glands inside-out and the breasts become large.
Can these boys get rid of male breasts with diet control and exercise?
It should be understood that the cause of the male breast or Gynaecomastia is formation of mammary glands in the breasts and mammary glands are not fat. Therefore exercise and diet control to reduce body weight has absolutely no effect on male breasts. With exercise some fat will reduce from the breasts and size may reduce to some extent but, they will never come to normal size. We have seen boys and men exercising vigorously for years trying to get rid of breasts thinking that they are due to fat only but, it does not work. An operation to remove these glands is the only treatment option. Even professional body builders will need an operation if they are suffering from Gynaecomastia or male breasts problem.
Can ‘male-breast’ surgery be done totally under local anaesthesia?
There have been very significant advancements in anaesthesia techniques. Gynaecomastia surgery can be done totally under local anaesthesia by the TUMESCENT AWAKE TECHNIQUE. It is also called ‘AWAKE SURGERY’. We do it very routinely at our Gynaecomastia Surgery Clinic in India. We have been doing these for the last twenty years! Patient remains awake and conversant while the surgery is going on or he may go to sleep. There is no pain or discomfort throughout the surgery. Surprisingly, when this surgery is done under tumescent awake local anaesthesia, there is virtually no pain even after the effect of anaesthesia wears off! An operation under tumescent local anaesthesia (AWAKE-SURGERY) is the safest and best way of getting rid of male breasts. Patient remains alert, fully mobile and can go home immediately after surgery. In fact, as we say, you come for surgery after breakfast at home, get your surgery done and go home to take your lunch! The cost of gynaecomastia surgery is very affordable too!
Tumescent technique of local anaesthesia gives exceptional patient safety.
Dr JB Ratti 