Male Breast Liposuction / Gynecomastia Surgery Information Resource for Southern California including Orange County, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Beverly Hills.
Treatment of Gynecomastia Philosophy
Dr. Cruise's Philosophy Regarding Male Breast Reduction
Why is Treating Gynecomastia so Satisfying?
Simply said, Gynecomastia patients are the most appreciative of all plastic surgery patients. Don’t get me wrong, I feel absolutely blessed treating all plastic surgery patients. It’s just that Gynecomastia is different. It is an amalgamation of both cosmetic AND reconstructive surgery. This changes the whole dynamics of the Gynecomastia patient.
Society, as a whole, has no clue the embarrassment and sometime outright shame that they feel every day of their life. My practice is unique in that I specialize in treating Gynecomastia so the stories that I have to tell can go on forever. Their embarrassment centers around something they have no control over; an overabundance of breast tissue.
I cannot count the number of times I have consulted with a teenager who painfully confides in me that he has never taken his shirt off in public. He has never let the sun touch his chest in public despite living in southern California. Sometimes, it is the parents that notice that “Johnny” does not want to go to the beach anymore. He wears a sweat shirt in 90 degree heat and is always pulling on it so that his body contour is not revealed.
Gynecomastia is not just for the young. In fact, many older men come to me as well because their breasts have enlarged and often begin to sag. Aging is difficult for most, but it becomes a serious problem for these men. They too, will avoid tight-fitting clothes and refrain from going in the pool.
So, what makes Gynecomastia so satisfying for me is the look on my patients faces when they first see their chest after the surgery. Words can not describe the combination of intense joy and relief; as if this incredible weight has been lifted and they are now free. Often, they will get teary eyed but try to maintain composure with a giant smile on their face.
I especially enjoy the conversation with their parents or those who took care of them during the process a few weeks later. Typically, those around the sufferer have no clue how much effect the enlarged breasts had until it is gone. They describe how even the patient’s attitude and look on life has clearly changed. Something the rest of society will never understand.
Treating Gynecomastia is exceptionally rewarding because of the predictable positive physical and emotional effect I can have on someone else’s life. It is a problem that does not get the respect it deserves from most plastic surgeons but I embrace. My Gynecomastia patients get all the attention that my face lift patients get, perhaps more. For this reason I am often referred as the “go to” guy for Gynecomastia in Orange County. A title I wear proudly.
As pointed out earlier, gynecomastia is composed of three possible problems. I will go over these problems and highlight the techniques I have found most effective to treat them.
Excess Fat in Male Chest
Almost every one of my gynecomastia patients has excess fat. This excess fat is often present even in patients who are not overweight. This fat is predictably treated with liposuction. The key is to use a very aggressive cannula because the fat underneath the nipple is usually very fibrous and hard to remove.
Excess Fat and Breast Tissue
Many of my patients are surprised to learn that men have glandular breast tissue just like women. In most of my gynecomastia patients, this breast tissue enlarges and becomes a problem. It is almost always located directly below the nipple and feels firm and squishy.
This breast tissue usually does not respond to liposuction alone. It usually requires a small incision under the nipple to remove it. Fortunately, this incision is well hidden.
Excess Fat, Breast Tissue and Skin
Uncommonly, gynecomastia may require that excess skin be removed. This is uncommon because chest skin has a great capacity to contract back to the chest when the breast tissue is removed. Only patients with significant sag or poor skin quality need to have skin removed.
If I have to remove skin, I typically remove it around the areola so that the incision is hidden between the interface of the dark areola skin and the chest skin. Normally, I do not remove skin at the same time as the breast tissue removal because it is impossible to know how much skin, if any, needs to be removed.
Remember, even poor-quality skin will contract somewhat. Therefore, it is best to allow this contraction to occur and remove only what is necessary. This way, the incision is much smaller. In addition, the skin removal is easily done under local anesthesia.
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Gynecomastia Surgery / Liposuction Male Chest Information Resource for Southern California including Newport Beach, Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Beverly Hills.