Gynecomastia in the News
Because I live and work in America’s major media center – New York City – and because I have been active in gynecomastia matters for about 15 years, news outlets often interview me about my male breast reduction patients.
One of the things I like about the media is when news writers and broadcasters reach past me and bring interesting — indeed, often heart wrenching — anecdotes and details about how gynecomastia affects the lives of both teens and adults.
One of my all time favorites is a letter written by a troubled mother who tells of watching the anguish, shame and embarrassment her teen son goes through because of an increasingly female-like chest that started when the lad was only 10. But it ends well.
Read her story of teen gynecomastia at a leading website.
When Newsweek Health stopped in for an interview, they briefly outlined the story of an associate, Merle Yost, a psychologist who founded and operates the excellent gynecomastia.org website.
In this segment, Merle tells how he suffered the slings and arrows of a chest with womanly breasts until he was 37. For instance, in junior high school, he was nick-named “Tits.” (Read more about Merle and his two gynecomastia operations.)
And then the ABC affiliate in New York City told about how more about teen boys and their parents are requesting male breast reduction surgery these days because the condition is so much more difficult for youngsters to handle.
The topic apparently struck a nerve because the online version drew no less than 63 reader comments.
One response was from a man, 38, who did not know a treatment for his so-called “man boobs” existed. But he played golf one day with a plastic surgeon, mentioned his embarrassing chest and then had gynecomastia plastic surgery several days later.
Afterwards, the lab found cancer in the breast tissue taken in the operation. He then had treatment for the cancer and now has a flat, more masculine chest and is cancer-free.
(Read our previous post about gynecomastia and cancer.)
Perhaps because teen boys and men are about 40 percent of my practice, The Plastic Surgery Channel filmed a segment about teen gynecomastia and how a boy and his parents may opt for surgery.