Surgical treatment of gynecomastia in Kharkiv

Gynecomastia is an abnormal enlargement of mammary glands in men. The disease causes a man psychological discomfort and leads to the constraint of his own body, interferes with a full life. Although gynecomastia is a benign breast tumor, overgrowth of breast tissue causes higher risk of developing breast cancer. The main treatment for gynecomastia in men is surgery to remove overgrown tissue - mastectomy.

What are the types of gynecomastia?

There are two main types of gynecomastia:

• true. In its turn, it is divided into two types: physiological (not requiring treatment) and pathological. Physiological gynecomastia occurs in boys during puberty (between the ages of 11-15), and resolves on its own with its completion. Pathological gynecomastia occurs in adulthood and requires treatment;
• false. Breast augmentation occurs due to the accumulation of adipose tissue;
• mixed. Combination of true and false forms (fibro-fatty gynecomastia).

According to the form of the disease, gynecomastia is:

• nodular - characterized by the appearance of nodular lumps in the mammary gland, which increase in size over time. The risk of transition of the nodular form of gynecomastia to breast cancer ranges from 9% to 12%;
• diffuse - accompanied by swelling of one or both breasts, the appearance of nipple discharge and the presence of many lumps.

Factors provoking breast augmentation in men include:

• endocrine diseases (tumors of adrenal glands, pituitary gland, hypothyroidism, etc.);
• impaired endocrine profile (predominance of estrogen over testosterone);
• genetic diseases (hypogonadism, Klinefelter’s syndrome, etc.);
• liver failure, cirrhosis;
• taking of certain medications.

What is the difference between true and false gynecomastia?

True gynecomastia in adults is caused by the proliferation of glandular tissue in the breast affected by hormonal imbalance or other adverse factors. With false gynecomastia, breast augmentation occurs due to the accumulation of subcutaneous fat. If a man loses weight, the size of his mammary glands will return to normal. With true gynecomastia, breast reduction is possible only if no more than 4 months have passed since the onset of the disease. In the period from 4 to 12 months, the final maturation of the breast tissue occurs, therefore, after this period, its reverse development becomes impossible.

Main signs of gynecomastia in men

The main symptoms of gynecomastia in men include:

• enlargement of one or both breasts;
• appearance of lumps in the chest (fibroadipous tissue);
• chest pain, feeling of chest heaviness or fullness;
• discharge from nipples.

Lumps near the nipple in men indicates an early stage of nodular gynecomastia. If at least one of the listed symptoms appears, you need to contact a mammologist and undergo an examination in order to avoid the gynecomastia development and complications associated with it.

Gynecomastia treatment methods

There are two methods of treating male gynecomastia: conservative and surgical. Conservative treatment involves taking medications aimed at normalizing hormonal levels and restoring the balance of estrogen and testosterone in the male body. But this type of treatment is effective only at an early stage of gynecomastia development, therefore it is not often used. In addition, hormone therapy has a number of contraindications and side effects.

Therefore, surgical intervention remains the optimal treatment method for gynecomastia. During open surgery, excess breast tissue is removed through incision in the nipple area. After the operation, a patient stays in the hospital (from several hours to 1 day), and then is discharged from hospital. Within a week, he/she can return to his usual activities. For 2-3 weeks after minimally invasive surgery, you need to wear a bandage.

Any operation is preceded by examination by a surgeon. Then the patient is referred to tests examinations to assess the state of health and to make sure that he has no contraindications for a mastectomy. A man takes a standard package of preoperative laboratory tests (blood tests, urine tests, electrocardiogram, hormonal panel and others), and also undergoes ultrasound examination of the mammary glands.

Make appointment for the surgical treatment of gynecomastia at the medical center “ON Clinic Kharkov”. Fill out the application form on the website or call the specified phone number.