Before gynecomastia surgery (male breast reduction) in Lebanon, ask what is causing it, whether waiting or treating a cause could be enough, whether it is gland or fat, whether it can come back, how the operation is done, where the scar is, what the risks are, how long recovery takes and who will operate. These are the questions, with short answers from this practice. Whatever depends on your own body is decided at the examination in person.
Will I be examined in person, and how is the plan made?
Yes. The examination is done in person, by the surgeon who will operate. The plan is made from your own examination and your own photographs, not from a catalogue. Photographs of other people can be brought as a starting point for conversation, never as a target. The risks are gone through in full, and nothing is booked under pressure. Some patients are advised not to have the operation.
What is causing it, and should anything be checked first?
Enlargement in men follows hormone changes, an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, anabolic steroid use or prescribed medication. Every medication and supplement is asked about. Where one of those is behind it, treating the cause reduces the size without an operation. That assessment comes before any decision to operate.
Could waiting be the right advice?
Sometimes. In young men with recent onset the condition sometimes resolves on its own, and enlargement that begins at puberty can also settle, so waiting is the right advice rather than operating. Whether that applies to you is decided at the examination.
Is it gland or fat, and does that change the operation?
It does. The firm disc of gland immediately behind the areola has to be cut out; liposuction alone will not remove it. The softer fat around it is treated with liposuction, which blends the edges into the chest wall. Doing only one of the two is the commonest reason a chest looks wrong afterwards. Training does not remove a glandular disc. See gynecomastia or chest fat: how to tell.
Can it come back?
Rarely, after adequate excision. It is considerably more likely if anabolic steroids are used again, which is why the question is asked directly before surgery.
How is the operation done, and under which anaesthetic?
Usually under a general anaesthetic, in ninety minutes to two hours. A small incision at the lower border of the areola gives access to the gland. The gland is excised, deliberately leaving a thin layer behind the nipple so the centre does not collapse inward, and liposuction feathers the surrounding fat into the chest wall. A compression vest goes on at the end, and most men go home the same day.
Where will the scar be?
At the lower border of the areola, where the change in skin colour hides it. It is short, and it fades into that border over several months.
What are the risks?
A residual firmness under the areola for several months, which is healing rather than remaining gland; a depression in the centre if too much gland is taken, avoided by leaving a layer behind the nipple; asymmetry between the two sides, since the chest is rarely perfectly symmetrical to begin with; and recurrence. They are written out in full on the gynecomastia page.
What is recovery like, and when can I train my chest again?
Most men can shower again within about 48 hours and are back at a desk job by the end of the first week, wearing the vest day and night at first. The vest is usually stopped at four to six weeks. There is no chest, shoulder or arm work until six weeks; push-ups and bench press are the classic way patients undo a good result. The firmness under the areola settles by six months. See gynecomastia surgery recovery and what to expect.
Who will operate, where, and who sees me afterwards?
Dr. Vincent ElKhoury is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon and a member of the Lebanese Order of Physicians. He sees every patient himself at the clinic, and he operates on every case himself, at Hayek Hospital or Bellevue Medical Center. The same surgeon is there at every visit. The clinic is on Mkalles Main Street in Mansourieh, Metn, open Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 18:00.
More on the operation, with the risks and the recovery written out, is on the gynecomastia surgery in Lebanon page. This page is information, not advice, and it does not replace the examination in person.
Questions
FAQ
What should I ask before gynecomastia surgery in Lebanon?
Ask what is causing it and whether anything should be checked first, whether waiting could be right, whether it is gland or fat, whether it can come back, how the operation is done and under which anaesthetic, where the scar is, what the risks are, how long recovery takes, and who will operate.
Should anything be checked before gynecomastia surgery?
Yes. Enlargement in men follows hormone changes, an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, anabolic steroid use or prescribed medication. Where one of those is behind it, treating the cause reduces the size without an operation. That assessment comes before any decision to operate.
Can gynecomastia come back after surgery?
Rarely, after adequate excision. It is considerably more likely if anabolic steroids are used again.
Who performs gynecomastia surgery at this practice, and where?
Dr. Vincent ElKhoury, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, operates on every case himself, at Hayek Hospital or Bellevue Medical Center, after a consultation at the clinic in Mansourieh.
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