Gynecomastia Surgery and Its Results
Body Builder Before Surgery
A professor of plastic surgery once explained that, not two, but three parties are actually involved in any cosmetic plastic surgery: the patient and the surgeon, of course, but Mother Nature and the healing process are also lending a hand.
Mother Nature stays in the mix quite a while afterwards — because any surgery is actually a very carefully controlled injury.
And because I never know precisely what the healing process is going to do, I can’t say with 100 percent certainly how any patient is going to finally heal.
But, please, give me this – I can improve things within a 90 to 98 percent certainty. And those aren’t bad odds!This controlled injury process we know as surgery also involves a trade off; in these cases, a flatter, more masculine chest for a few scars which do lighten into virtual nothingness over time.
After surgery
I often tell my gynecomastia patients that all men have some actual breast tissue. Male breast reduction is only indicated when that tissue is excessive and something resembling female breasts start to appear on a man’s chest.
In most cases, plastic surgeons remove both fat and glandular breast tissue. And, given a skilled surgeon, the outcome is normally a vastly improved chest that looks great in a tee shirt or with no shirt at all.
Nonetheless, the gripe most frequently heard is: “But, doctor, I can feel something under my nipples.”
No doubt. Something is probably there — perhaps scar tissue, firm fat or some very small amounts of glandular breast tissue. Even buffed out weight lifters may have a small layer of fat within their breasts.
But plastic surgery is judged by appearance. Indeed, how many people test the outcome of your surgery by poking and prodding at your chest? Not many, I would bet.
All this is considered within the realm of “realistic expectations.” It’s actually an issue in all of cosmetic plastic surgery.
If you would glance at our before and after gynecomastia surgery pictures, you can see patients who received a huge improvement in the appearance of their chest.
While those rejuvenations may not be 100 percent perfect, most are more than glad to have upwards of a 98 percent betterment.
The rub happens when a vastly improved patient – on the order of 93 to 98 percent better — wants perfection and asks for a revision surgery.
(Read more about revision gynecomastia surgery.)