Gynecomastia is the medical term for enlarged male breasts. This condition is very common for males during puberty but quite often it appears in adulthood as well. There is a difference between males with enlarged breasts and men who simply have larger breasts because of a weight gain.
In some cases a male might decide that he would like to have a surgical procedure called a "breast reduction" as they are very self conscious about their appearance. The procedure has actually become quite common and during the process the surgeon will remove fat and glandular tissue from the breast area. In some extreme cases, the surgeon may also have to remove some of the excess skin as well.
Male breast reduction can be performed on any healthy male but in cases where the male has firmer and more elastic skin the results are much better. The physician will require the patient to first attempt to correct the problem on his own through rigorous exercise and diet. If that is not effective then the surgeon will usually agree to perform the surgery if the candidate is a not a marijuana smoker and is not an excessive drinker. If a candidate drinks in excess or smokes marijuana in combination with anabolic steroids, this can cause enlarged breasts in males. So before the surgeon will consider surgery he will expect the patient to stop using these drugs and alcohol and see if the enlargement dissipates.
Before your surgery, you should expect a thorough consultation with the surgeon where he will want a complete medical history. He will also check the breast area and make sure of what the underlying cause of the enlargement is. Do not be alarmed if the doctor requests a mammogram or a breast x-ray just to rule out any breast cancer possibilities but more important it will show the doctor the exact composition of the breasts. You will likely also discuss whether or not your health insurance covers this type of procedure. Some will if certain conditions are met.
At this time the doctor will also explain what he expects from the patient a couple of weeks prior to surgery such as the patient can not smoke because it decreases circulation and can hinder proper healing. Normally, the procedure is done as an outpatient procedure in the hospital and the surgery usually takes about an hour and a half to complete if there are no complications. This surgery is performed under local anesthesia so expect to be awake during it but you will not feel any pain.
During the surgery the doctor will make an incision in an inconspicuous area and he will likely also perform a procedure called liposuction. The procedure used usually depends on the amount of fatty tissue surrounding the enlarged breast area. After surgery, you will be uncomfortable for a few days but the doctor will prescribe medication to ease the pain. Expect to be swollen and bruised for a while and it actually might appear to get worse before it gets better. It could also take up to three months or more for the complete results to be revealed.
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Trevor Berly provides lots of free information on his male breast reduction page. To check out other interesting articles check out the male breast reduction sitemap. Visit http://www.getridofgynecomastia.com to read more about how to get rid of gynecomastia naturally.
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