Gynecomastia

Gynecomastia –Dr. Fadi El Jiz, American Board Certified plastic surgeon of Shamma Clinic explains one of the most common male breast problems.

Every men normally has a a small amount of breast tissue under the nipple, although this rudimentary (underdeveloped, primitive, imperfect) breast has no physiological role. The male chest is flat, only the muscle mass of the pectoralis major gives an attractive projection.

A male breast containing more fatty tissue or an enlarged gland called gynecomastia – this latin word means a ’female like breast’. In some cases this causes only a cosmetic problem, these men feel a kind of low self esteem while their bare chest is exposed or they wear a tight T-shirt. In other cases some pain or discomfort could complicate the swelling.

It is important to mention that during puberty – due to the changes in the hormonal system – most of the adolescent young men develop a painful swelling. This requires no treatment, resolves spontaneously within some months.

One of the most important causes of gynecomastia (all over the world, but in the United Arab Emirates, too) is obesity – this leads to the accumulation of the fat in the breast, too. As an additional factor, the extra fat converts the male hormone (testosterone) to female oestrogene, which could increase the volume of the breast. These patients feel ashamed to go to the gym and exercise, which causes more gain in weight – a vicious circle begins. Other causes are hormonal imbalance (tumour or drug abuse), genetic disorders and some other rare conditions. Diagnostics is very important to choose the best treatment option.

The most effective way to remove this excess tissue to regain self esteem is plastic surgery. Most of the fatty volume could be aspirated by liposuction, which leaves no scar behind. The hard, enlarged glandular tissue cannot be removed this way – the plastic surgeon needs to make an incision around the areola – the resulting scar is hidden.

With the succesful surgery, these patients could return to their sport activities within a couple of weeks. With a balanced diet, customized weight-loss plan could help them to return to the beautiful beaches of Dubai. The costs are covered by the ensurance company if the painful enlargement is documented by ultrasound.

If you have any question regarding the male breast surgery; call the Shamma Clinic to book an appointment – +971 4 349 88 00