I am 30 and am about 6' 3" and weight 290. I have had gynecomastia since adolescence and it has always plagued my confidence about my body. I was pretty much in shape until i graduated college and still had this problem. When i put on weight, the problem got worse. I had a surgery almost a year ago that removed fat tissue by going through my arm pit. I am not satisfied with the results and plan on going back for the surgery that removes fatty tissue and breast tissue from an incision in the areola. My plastic surgeon told me that after the surgery that I will probably have excess loose skin and that there would probably be sagging. Most people I have seen with before and after pictures are people who are pretty much in shape and the results of their surgery are stellar. I, however, am overweight and just concerned with my chest sticking out further than my stomach. But I really didnt want my chest to look worse than it does now. My doctor told me, because of my age, that i have a fairly good chance of my skin somewhat retracting if i wear the compression vest properly. Are there any instances where people who are overweight have surgery that dont result in excess sagging skin.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance.
Have you checked your
BMI with a Calculator (Body Mass Index)?
At 6'3" and 290# that is 36.2 or
Severely Obese.
This in conjunction with a
Body Fat Analyzer can give a clue about your condition.
Wearing the extra fat is not healthy. Have you ever seen a
Sumo Wrestler without breasts? Men tend to put fat around their chest and stomach and then globally. The
Anatomy of Gynecomastia consists of fat, gland, and skin.
Although losing weight will not help with the gland,
Weight Loss can help with the fat component. Living with the extra fat is just not healthy.
Getting down to a healthier BMI and Body Fat Percentage does help most with many quality of life and medical issues.
Plastic surgery is better after weight loss, losing weight is a coarse tool. Plastic surgery is better used for refinement. Plastic Surgery is not an alternative to losing weight. I have seen many disasters of surgeons / patients pushing surgery as an early option to "jump start" the weight loss process or "because I can't get the weight off myself."
This is especially the case where the patient is in the process of a major weight loss and now has
Drooping Chest Skin or Male Breast Ptosis When a patient has their drooping skin lifted and tightened with
Male Mastopexy Chest Lift and then loses much more weight, the skin usually does not shrink well and sags again. It is a gamble, but if the skin did not shrink well with the first weight loss, why should it for further loss? Revision Skin Tightening may not be an option.
This loose skin is an issue for each woman on delivering her baby. However, that loose skin was stretched for a few months, the overweight patient has stretched the lose skin for year. Most patients do not need skin tightening after weight loss. However, some end up with
Loose Excess Skin on their Chest.
Although compromise surgery can be done on obese or overweight patients, after surgery they just look like obese / overweight patients with smaller breasts.
Hope this helps,
Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Male Breast Reduction