Gynecomastia
Conveniently located to serve the areas of Beverly Hills and Greater Los Angeles
Gynecomastia is a condition in which men develop breasts due to the presence of a hormonal imbalance. It can be an embarrassing condition that causes significant self-consciousness and body confidence issues. Men and boys with gynecomastia often feel the need to cover up their bodies to conceal their feminine-appearing chests. Fixing hormonal issues won’t correct tissue growth; gynecomastia surgery is the only permanent and effective solution for men seeking to feel more attractive and masculine. Luckily, with today’s technologies, surgeons can now create more refined results with the most minimally invasive methods possible.
To find out if you are a candidate for this procedure, book a consultation with Dr. Michael Omidi, M.D., F.A.C.S, a double-board certified plastic surgeon with over 15 years of experience. Dr. Omidi makes an effort to stay up-to-date on the latest surgical trends and research, ensuring that he provides his patients with the high-quality care they deserve. To get started with a consultation today, call his office at (310) 281-0155 or use his contact form. A member of his staff will be happy to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have.
Contents
Before and After Photos
What Causes Gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia is more than just fat development in the chest area; it is characterized by increased fibrous breast tissue, excess fat, and more glandular ducts than what is typical for a male. Men don’t have lobules that are capable of producing milk, but they do have other breast tissues that can contribute to the enlarged appearance. Gynecomastia is a complicated condition that has been linked to several factors.
For many men, gynecomastia begins to develop in their teenage years, but a small minority of them have signs of the condition beginning in childhood. For the most part, men with low testosterone and/or higher levels of estrogen are at a much higher risk of developing a feminine-looking chest. Usually, as puberty progresses, testosterone levels rise enough to correct mild cases, but sometimes this is not the case. Research has shown that around 10% of males will still have gynecomastia after finishing puberty. (1)
Although it’s not considered the same thing, obesity can cause breast growth. If it’s just excess fat just under the nipples, it may be pseudo-gynecomastia. Still, obesity and its related conditions are linked with true gynecomastia as well- research points out that about 30% of men with the condition also have high blood sugar levels. There is strong evidence to support that many of these men also have a family history of diabetes, suggesting a genetic influence. liposuction– a form of fat removal that only requires tiny incisions and a suction instrument called a cannula.
Candidates for Gynecomastia Liposuction
Dr. Omidi will take the time necessary to fully evaluate your health and eligibility for liposuction before formulating a treatment plan. Prospective patients are healthy, non-smoking men who are close to, or at, their ideal body weight. Teenage boys can undergo the procedure if their breast development has stabilized or if they have severe gynecomastia. All in all, if your breasts don’t seem to reduce in size with diet or exercise, and they give you physical or emotional discomfort, you may be a great candidate for the procedure. Dr. Omidi will make sure to get a comprehensive idea of your expected aesthetic goals and desires beforehand.
Personal Consultation
During your consultation with Dr. Omidi, he will review your medical history and your history with gynecomastia, assessing whether the procedure is right for you or not. If he believes you could benefit from liposuction, he will make sure that you have a proper understanding of the procedure itself alongside preparation and recovery steps. He will assess the extent of your gynecomastia and discuss his custom-tailored liposuction recommendations with you. You will be able to ask questions and discuss your concerns, allowing you to make an informed decision for yourself. If you are ready to take the next step, call Dr. Omidi’s office in Beverly Hills, CA, or dial (310) 281-0155 and request your consultation today. If you’d like to consider another procedure to help renew your body confidence, browse through his blog. Alternatively, you can submit your questions or other inquiries using his online form.
Preparation
Around 2 weeks before your scheduled surgery, you should stop taking anticoagulant medications and any supplements that have blood-thinning properties. Dr. Omidi will review your prescriptions and supplements to make sure there aren’t any substances that could interfere with your recovery. At some point before your official surgery, he will review your health through blood tests. To improve your blood circulation, you should avoid all forms of nicotine for a few weeks. The final step to preparing is ensuring that you have your required prescriptions from Dr. Omidi and any over-the-counter medications to ease your recovery.
The Solution: Power-Assisted Liposuction (PAL)
For gynecomastia treatment, power-assisted liposuction (PAL) with local anesthesia and sedation is a reliable, safe method of permanently removing fat from the chest. After administering anesthesia, Dr. Omidi will make tiny incisions of a couple of centimeters or less near each armpit. Through these incisions, he will inject tumescent fluid, a substance that will constrict blood vessels, cause the fat cells to swell, and desensitize the area. Dr. Omidi will then use an extra-long cannula, a tubular, thin device that can enter under the skin and suction the fat deposits.
The difference with power-assisted liposuction is that the cannula moves back and forth in rapid movements, allowing for more precise targeting of chest fat and less damage to connective tissue just under the skin. Studies have demonstrated that PAL removes as much as 45% more fat than standard liposuction. (3) After sculpting the chest and reforming it to appear much flatter and more masculine, Dr. Omidi will protect the small incisions with gauze and surgical tape. Immediately after the procedure, he will place you in a post-surgical garment to protect your contours and prevent excessive swelling.
J-Plasma Skin-Tightening
J-Plasma is an optional treatment that aims to promote skin-tightening after liposuction by strategically placing plasma energy to contract subdermal collagen fibers. Dr. Omidi uses the device just like a cannula and utilizes the same gynecomastia surgery incisions near the armpits. After inserting, he will apply low-level plasma pulses to heat the treatment area to 185 degrees Fahrenheit for just a fraction of a second, preventing the risk of burns to the skin. (4) With this technology, men can attain more natural-looking results without any additional scarring.
Recovery and Results
Although Dr. Omidi uses minimally invasive techniques for male breast reduction, aftercare is as important as the procedure itself. Side effects such as bruising, swelling, and tenderness in and around your chest are completely normal and will gradually resolve. Dr. Omidi will prescribe medications to mitigate these and make your recovery as comfortable as possible. He will require you to wear your compression garment for a few weeks, depending on your rate of healing and the extent of the procedure. In many cases, you can return to work after just 1 week if your job doesn’t involve heavy lifting or over-exerting yourself. In around 4 weeks, most of your swelling will be gone, and you can check with Dr. Omidi to see if it’s safe to return to the gym. Around this point, most patients are healed enough to enjoy their final results and confidently go shirtless.
Cost of Gynecomastia Surgery in Beverly Hills
The cost of your gynecomastia surgery is mostly dependent on the surgical fees, prescribed medications, surgical fees, and any medical tests Dr. Omidi ordered beforehand. Though the cost can add up, Dr. Omidi strives to be sensitive to needs by offering CareCredit, a medical lending company that gives patients various financial options.
For more information about gynecomastia treatment, and to book a personal consultation with Dr. Omidi, call (310) 281-0155 or use our contact form to get in touch.
FAQ
Is there a non-surgical way of treating gynecomastia?
Some boys need to fully go through puberty for their gynecomastia to resolve. Getting to a normal weight can sometimes minimize mild cases of the condition, but most often, men require a surgical intervention like liposuction.
Is gynecomastia dangerous?
Gynecomastia itself is not a harmful condition; it does not raise men’s risk of developing breast cancer. It is caused by a hormone imbalance that causes a benign cosmetic issue.
Will I have loose skin after gynecomastia liposuction?
If you have taut, young skin, your skin will recoil after fat removal. Devices such as J-Plasma can provide some skin-tightening benefits if you are concerned with the possibility of loose skin after liposuction.
Can gynecomastia come back after surgery?
Gynecomastia surgery is permanent as long as you work to treat any conditions that may have caused it in the first place and maintain a stable weight. Patients after surgery should monitor their hormone levels and avoid steroid use- two main contributing factors for breast development.
References
- Cayci C, Simmons P, Petty P, Lemaine V. Gynecomastia in Adolescent Males. Seminars in Plastic Surgery. 2013;27(01):056-061. doi:https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0033-1347166
- Kulshreshtha B, Arpita A, Rajesh P, et al. Adolescent gynecomastia is associated with a high incidence of obesity, dysglycemia, and family background of diabetes mellitus. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2017;21(1):160. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103/2230-8210.196022
- Codazzi D, Bruschi S, Robotti E, Bocchiotti MA. Power-Assisted Liposuction (P.A.L.) Fat Harvesting for Lipofilling: The Trap Device. World journal of plastic surgery. 2015;4(2):177-179. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4537612/
- Gentile RD. Renuvion RF-Helium Plasma for Subdermal Skin Tightening, Facial Contouring and Skin Rejuvenation of the Face and Neck. Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine. Published online May 5, 2020. doi:https://doi.org/10.1089/fpsam.2020.0070