Aesthetic operations are important for men as well as for women. And that’s why gynecomastia operation attracts attention as a problem experienced by more men every day. Gynecomastia can be defined as excessive breast development in men. It must be said that it is a benign problem. According to researches nowadays, this problem is encountered in one of every three men. The age range in which this problem occurs is variable. Although researches show that it mostly occurs in adolescence, gynecomastia problems are encountered in infancy and even old age.Gynecomastia is not a health problem that needs to be treated as it is thought. However, it can cause a great psychological devastation for men. In other words, there are many men who are embarrassed and bored of this problem. Gynecomastia is not a problem that disappears by itself. First of all, medical treatment is required. In addition, surgical intervention should be performed when deemed necessary.

What causes Gynecomastia?

There are multiple reasons for gynecomastia. First of all, the hormone imbalance is one of the causes. The irregularity or imbalance of the estrogen and testosterone hormones creates this problem. In other words, gynecomastia occurs significantly when the amount of testosterone in the body decreases and the amount of estrogen increases. The reason for the hormonal changes is variable. We should clarify that there is no different medical factor underlying these reasons, some of which are natural. Finally, the incidence of gynecomastia caused by hormones ranges from five to ten percent.As we mentioned before, the stages of gynecomastia are variable. A significant number of male babies are born as large mammals due to the estrogen hormone passed to them from their mothers. However, swollen breast tissue will disappear within a maximum of three weeks after birth. In addition, gynecomastia can be encountered during adolescence.Gynecomastia may occur due to some used drugs as well as hormonal irregularities. It is possible to encounter gynecomastia problems due to the use of anabolic steroids, anxiety medications, chemotherapies, antibiotics and ulcer drugs, especially drugs that been used for the treatment of prostate enlargement or prostate cancer. In addition, this problem may arise due to alcohol and drug abuse. We should state that kidney and liver failure, cirrhosis, hyperthyroidism, tumors and many other health problems can cause a problem such as gynecomastia.Gynecomastia is a problem that many men unwittingly invite due to food consumption. Hormone food may enlarge men’s breasts. In fact, when we look at the gynecomastia cases in recent years, we can say that the problem is mostly caused by hormonal foods. Non-hormonal versions of foods or beverages such as strawberries, potatoes, tomatoes, milk, corn, zucchini, olives, cucumbers, peppers, and watermelon should be consumed.Finally, the use of herbal products can also cause gynecomastia. Green tree and lavender oils in shampoos, soaps or lotions are predicted to cause gynecomastia after a while due to their low estrogenic activity.

How does gynecomastia occurs?

The number of men facing gynecomastia is increasing day after day. As we mentioned before, especially adolescents, the elderly, those who use steroids and androgens to increase their performance, those who suffer from thyroid disease, those with liver and kidney failure are at risk of gynecomastia. In addition, those who consume hormonal foods and use drugs that cause breast growth face the same risk.The symptoms of gynecomastia emerge very clearly. We should emphasize that symptoms such as swelling, pain, tenderness and fluid discharge from one or both nipples are among the symptoms of gynecomastia.It is important to diagnose gynecomastia as well as its symptoms. At this point, both breasts need to be checked manually. If a hard and walnut-sized mass is palpated behind the nipple, this indicates the presence of gynecomastia. However, after the examination, the presence of gynecomastia should be confirmed by performing breast USG to the patient. We should clarify that the examination and subsequent USG findings are extremely important for the diagnosis and treatment process.

How is Gynecomastia surgery performed?

Although there are different treatment options for gynecomastia, we can say that the best method is surgical treatment. It is preferred because it is an effective and precise method. However, the way in which this problem will be intervened should be determined by the surgeon. Since there are different types of gynecomastia, a suitable method for the type of problem should be followed. To summarize briefly:

• Firm breast tissue is prominent in glandular type gynecomastia. Therefore, breast tissue should be removed with the surgical method.
• A different method is followed in mixed type gynecomastia. There are both glandular tissue and adipose tissue that we mentioned above. Therefore, in the treatment of the problem, the surgical method is used together with the fat removal process.
• In fatty type of gynecomastia, fat tissue is predominant, but only liposuction method is used in order to treat this problem.

If there is a different situation other than the above three methods, the size of the breast tissue and the excess skin should be considered. It should be stated that the surgical method will be determined according to these criteria.What will happen after gynecomastia surgery varies according to the type of operation. If Vaser or laser liposuction techniques are preferred, we should emphasize that the operation will be smooth and the healing process will be comfortable. However, if gynecomastia occurs due to adipose tissue, vaser and laser liposuction techniques can also be applied. We can clarify that effective results will be obtained after a three-weeks process. Also, with the completion of this process, there will not be any problems for the patient to continue his normal life.In cases where surgical methods are used for gynecomastia, the operation is performed under general anesthesia. However, local anesthesia can still be applied according to the combined decision of the patient and the surgeon. It is possible to be discharged on the same day after gynecomastia surgery. In some cases, it may be necessary to keep the patient under observation for a day due to the procedure performing the operation under general anesthesia.As it is in other aesthetic operations, some edema and swelling are encountered after gynecomastia. However, edema and swelling will disappear within a week at most. In addition, we should mention that some muscle aches may be experienced. For all these reasons, it is necessary to rest for three days after gynecomastia surgery. During this process, it is also essential to not move the arms and shoulders too much.Within the completion of at least three days of rest, the patient can take a shower for a short time. Also, he can take light walk or return to work, provided that he does not tire himself too much.Although it is necessary to use sports bra after breast augmentation and reduction surgeries, gynecomastia brace should be used after gynecomastia. This corset must be used continuously. Otherwise, it is obvious that the patient will have troubled moments. The corset is extremely easy to use. In particular, the corset that should be worn immediately after the surgery should continue to be worn for the period specified by the doctor. Corset use is even more important after the operation for those who do heavy activities.The patient can overcome the gynecomastia process by paying attention to the details above.