Many men — it’s estimated to be from 40-60 percent — have larger breasts than are considered “normal.” The average person, however, believes this is usually a result of weight gain, just as a woman can gain breast size with weight gain. But in about half of men that assumption is wrong. This half of the male population suffers from gynecomastia, colloquially known as male breast enlargement. Most men do nothing about the condition, again usually due to a lack of information, but this can make them avoid situations when they would take their shirt off. And who wants that, especially with our awesome Calgary summer coming up!
Dr. Perron can address gynecomastia through a relatively simple male breast reduction procedure.
What leads to gynecomastia?
Adult gynecomastia and its causes are somewhat of a mystery. That’s in contrast to breast enlargement in pubescent boys. Up to 70% of boys have the condition to some degree at some point in their path through puberty. This is simply due to the surging levels of estrogen and testosterone and the changes they cause in the body. Most teenage gynecomastia passes as hormone levels stabilize.
Middle-aged and older men can also develop enlarged breasts due to hormone changes that come with aging. Also, taking of certain medicines can cause gynecomastia:
- Antibiotics
- Heartburn treatment drugs
- Anti-anxiety drugs
- Steroids
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- AIDS treatment drugs
Other causes of gynecomastia are marijuana and heroin use, as well as drinking too much alcohol. Obviously, many of these cases don’t merit surgery because lifestyle changes can correct the problem.
Breast reduction surgery
Men with gynecomastia have a firm, rubbery mass underneath the nipple area. The size of this mass is around 1.5 inches across and it may be sensitive to the touch. This mass will usually not go away on its own.
If surgery is required, Dr. Perron makes small incisions in the armpits or around the areolae. Through those incisions, excess fat and glandular tissue are removed and excess skin is trimmed. Liposuction may be added to remove fat pockets, but liposuction alone won’t usually fully correct the problem. The surgery is done on an outpatient basis and the patient will wear a compression shirt during recovery.
Do you wonder if your enlarged breasts are gynecomastia? Call Dr. Perron at (403) 228-7076 and schedule a consultation.
