” Male breast reduction (gynecomastia correction) can be done via Keyhole surgery that involves minimal scars and no hospital stay,” said Dr. Mohan Thomas
Mumbai: Having breasts can be very embarrassing for men. Today, men are finding it harder to hide the man boobs, especially while wearing body-hugging t-shirts, in water parks, beaches, and pools. Awareness about this and peer pressure have caused an increase in demand for male breast correction. There is as much as a 50% increase in the number of men coming for keyhole male breast surgery wherein the scars are minimal and fade in time. It is a day-care surgery and one can return to work in a couple of days.
An 18-year-old teenager, Anish Jha (name changed), visited Dr Mohan Thomas with poor self-esteem due to his enlarged breasts. He has been suffering from it since he was 15. Anish stopped playing and even going on school and family picnics. He started wearing double T-shirts even during summer and also at times started taping his nipples so that they were not visible. His friends played with his breasts, and as a result, he started lagging in studies. He piled up more than 40 kgs which made his condition worse and the breasts looked like a female ‘C’ cup. His condition initially needed a lot of professional counseling. His parents and he was made to understand that weight loss was the most important requirement followed by shaping of the breasts.
After months of discussion, the parents consented for weight loss surgery and the child lost more than 45 kgs over 6 months. He started looking slim, started exercising and gained his confidence back. Even though he looked great with his clothes on, his chest area looked like drooping, deflated breasts. This had to be corrected if the patient had to be made to feel normal again. A breast reduction surgery was done with a transfer of his nipple and areola as a free graft. This helped in limiting the scar to a thin line in the lower chest with near-normal chest shape and the nipple at the right level. After a few months, the scar was barely visible and the patient was able to go for a picnic after a long time.
Like Anish, there are a lot of other people who are embarrassed of their larger breast size and are looking for a suitable solution and keyhole male breast surgery can do the trick. “Gynecomastia is an enlargement or swelling of breast tissue in males. It is mostly caused by male estrogen levels that are too high or are out of balance with testosterone levels. Other conditions that cause gynecomastia can be obesity and long term use of recreational drugs as well as some medications that stimulate male breast enlargement. Today, many men encounter the problem of enlarged breasts and there is a 50% rise in the number of men opting for breast reduction (gynecomastia correction). Increasing awareness and peer pressure have caused an increase in demand for male breast correction,” said Dr. Mohan Thomas, Medical Director of The Cosmetic Surgery Institute, Mumbai.
He further added, “Male breast can very well be removed in an aesthetic manner with liposuction only using certain special instruments. This is termed as keyhole male breast surgery. This surgery removes the excess fat deposits on the chest to help achieve a normal desirable contour. The scars are minimal and only 3-4 mm long, and fade in time. It is a daycare surgery and one can return to work in a couple of days. A pressure garment is to be worn for 3 weeks after the procedure to support the skin during the healing period. The results are permanent and swelling in the operated area takes about three weeks to settle down.”
