Gynecomastia Surgery: Preparing for It
Many gynecomastia patients ask what to expect in surgery and are especially curious about surgical drains.
To start, we give patients a list of blood-thinning substances – headed by compounds that contain aspirin — that must be halted two weeks before surgery. Those items promote bleeding.
The patient and I also go over all the prescribed medications he may be taking with an eye toward continuing some and temporarily halting others.
Tobacco use must also be stopped because nicotine reduces the size of your blood vessels and interferes with both healing and the anesthesia process. That includes nicotine gum or patches. (Read more about smoking and plastic surgery.)
For the overweight, I usually recommend a weight loss of at least 25 pounds before surgery because it creates a much better result. Smaller amounts, say, five or 10 pounds really do not go very far in making the end result of male breast reduction surgery look that much better.
On the other hand, if weight loss and exercise in the gym is embarrassing, then “compromise” surgery at the current weight can be done.
We work on patients’ diets, too. We ask patients to leave any fad or unusual diets and concentrate on a standard eating plan concentrating on protein, Vitamin C and Zinc which can help in healing after the operation.
Vegetarians are urged to increase their protein intake before and after surgery; protein shakes help.
There’s no need to shave the chest before surgery. However, some patients want to do that anyhow so I ask them to shave it several days before and not just the night before surgery.
Just prior to surgery, I’ll mark your chest with surgical ink and will take medical photographs.
(Read more about the actual gynecomastia surgery.)
Afterwards, some cases require surgical drains – a decision that is made during the operation. The drains remove any buildup of blood or other fluids. I tend to think of them as safety valves for some cases.
The actual drain is nothing more than a plastic tube left inside a surgical wound and exiting through a tiny hole in the skin.
Drains are usually attached to a squeezable blub known as a “grenade” (because it looks like the real thing). Its purpose? To provide a small vacuum to suction out fluids.
Because drains penetrate the skin, showers are not allowed while the devices are in place. The patient is usually continued on antibiotics, too. The drains are removed in one to two days.
If a compression vest is being used, it goes on over the drains. (See gynecomastia surgery FAQs)
Virtually all surgeries are outpatient procedures which mean you can go home the same day.
But you need somebody to drive you here to my office, then home and to remain with you overnight – just in case — until I can see you again the next morning.