The surgeon explained why men have gynecomastia and how to get rid of it

Gynecomastia (breast enlargement in men) often causes shyness and discomfort. Russian andrologist, oncologist surgeon Alexander Dzidzaria explained why it appears, how to determine its shape and what treatment methods exist.

According to the doctor, gynecomastia is not an independent diagnosis, but a manifestation of certain conditions. Every healthy man has germs of the breast, so there are several physiological forms: in newborns (due to the mother's hormones), in transition (due to hormonal changes) and in older age (due to a decrease in testosterone and an increase in adipose tissue).

- If you’ve been with gynecomastia for more than 12 months, nothing usually helps except surgery. Nonsurgical methods work only if caught in the first six months. If there was a hormonal failure or there was the use of anabolic steroids, you can take special drugs, and the breast will decrease, but will not go completely to zero, said Alexander Dzidzaria.

He stressed that the causes of pathological gynecomastia can be different: taking drugs that increase prolactin or contain estrogen-like components (some diuretics, neuroleptics), sudden weight loss with subsequent breakdown (refit-gynecomastia), thyroid or liver diseases.

- From beer gynecomastia can not appear, it is a myth. Beer contains phytoestrogens, but to grow breasts, you need to drink 10-15 liters a day for a very long time. This is mainly due to an unhealthy lifestyle, testosterone deficiency and a large belly, the surgeon explained.

The doctor also explained how to distinguish true gynecomastia from false:

- Obese men most often have false gynecomastia - this is adipose tissue that is deposited according to the female type. The true consists of glandular tissue, and diets will not remove it. The most reliable way to determine is to go to an ultrasound of the mammary glands, where a specialist will see what it is: fat or gland. False gynecomastia requires weight correction, and if it is a pathological place for fat deposition, then liposuction helps. If with a large volume of fat there is also a large volume of the gland, then surgical removal is necessary.

According to Alexander Dzidzaria, true gynecomastia is treated only surgically. The classic method is an incision along the lower edge of the nipple, in which iron is removed and about 1 mm of tissue is left under the nipple. If gynecomastia is large and accompanied by a large amount of fat in a person, the operation is complemented by liposuction. There is another method - endoscopic removal through the armpit. This avoids visible scarring on the chest.

- Even a huge iron, if the halo allows, can be removed in a single block through a small incision. Making kilometer-long cuts that will be visible to everyone, I do not see the need. But even when accessed through a small edge of the halo, it is not a fact that the nipple does not deform during scarring. Therefore, after the operation, it is important to show up to the surgeon and connect anti-scar therapy, the doctor stressed.

He also warned about the dangers: if gynecomastia appeared on the one hand, hurts, there is bloody discharge from the nipple or enlarged lymph nodes, you need to urgently consult a doctor. Men also have breast cancer, and it is more dangerous than women, because it is diagnosed later and develops more rapidly.

- Remember once and for all: true gynecomastia can not be removed through liposuction, so only fat is removed. If the surgeon says he did the surgery in one puncture and cleaned it up, he's lying to you. This is not how it works, Alexander Dzidzaria summed up.