Gynecomastia or chest fat
Gynecomastia is enlargement of the male breast caused by glandular tissue behind the nipple; chest fat with no glandular component is pseudogynecomastia, and the two are told apart on examination, not by how the chest looks in a photograph. In true gynecomastia, a firm, rubbery disc sits directly behind the nipple; it does not soften with diet or training. In pseudogynecomastia, the chest is soft throughout, the same as fat anywhere else on the body, and it responds to weight loss the same way fat elsewhere does.
Training builds the muscle under the chest and reduces the fat over it; it does not remove a glandular disc, because glandular tissue is neither muscle nor fat. This is why a change in diet or training can shrink the fat around the disc while the disc itself stays the same size — leaving it more noticeable, not less.
Common causes to rule out first
The NHS lists causes of gynecomastia: hormone changes at puberty or after 50, being overweight, certain medicines, an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, cirrhosis, and anabolic steroids (NHS). Enlargement that starts at puberty can settle without treatment. Where a medicine or an untreated condition is the cause, treating that cause can reduce the size without an operation. This review is done at the consultation, before any decision to operate.
When to see a doctor without delay
The NHS lists these as reasons to see a doctor about the chest or nipples: a lump or swelling in the chest or armpit, liquid leaking from either nipple, and a change in the size or shape of one side of the chest, including a sore, an ulcer, or a nipple that turns inward (NHS). These same findings are used to rule out breast cancer in men. A hard lump, a lump on one side only, or nipple discharge is assessed by a doctor before it is treated as gynecomastia.
How the examination decides the operation
Where enlargement is fat with little or no glandular tissue, liposuction alone is used. Where a glandular disc or excess skin needs removing, excision is used. Where both are present, the two are combined in one operation (American Society of Plastic Surgeons). Which of the three applies to a given chest is decided at the examination, by feel more than by measurement, before the operation is planned.
Recovery
The compression vest, the exercise timeline, and when the result settles are covered in gynecomastia surgery recovery, and are not repeated here.
At this practice
Dr. Vincent ElKhoury, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, examines every chest himself at the consultation, at his clinic in Mansourieh, Metn, and operates on every gynecomastia case himself, at Hayek Hospital or Bellevue Medical Center. What the operation changes, how it is done, and the printed patient information sheet are on the gynecomastia surgery in Lebanon page.
Questions
FAQ
What is the difference between gynecomastia and chest fat?
Gynecomastia is a firm, rubbery disc of glandular tissue directly behind the nipple; it does not soften with diet or training. Chest fat with no glandular disc, called pseudogynecomastia, is soft throughout and responds to weight loss the same way fat elsewhere on the body does. The two are told apart on examination.
What causes gynecomastia?
The NHS lists hormone changes at puberty or after 50, being overweight, certain medicines, an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, cirrhosis, and anabolic steroids. Enlargement that starts at puberty can settle without treatment. Where a medicine or an untreated condition is the cause, treating it can reduce the size without an operation.
When should a lump in the chest be seen by a doctor?
A lump or swelling in the chest or armpit, liquid leaking from either nipple, or a change in the size, shape or skin of one side of the chest should be seen by a doctor without delay. These findings are used to rule out breast cancer in men before anything is treated as gynecomastia.
Does liposuction alone treat gynecomastia?
Only where the enlargement is fat with little or no glandular tissue. Where a glandular disc or excess skin needs removing, excision is used, and the two are combined in one operation where both are present. The examination decides which applies.
Sources
← Gynecomastia surgery in Lebanon · Gynecomastia surgery recovery →