Advice Needed for teenage son

[caringmom]

My 13 yr old son has gynecomastia.  Although he is a bit over weight ( by only about 10 lbs), he has lost about 15 lbs and sprouted 3 inches this past year.  His breasts are pointy and saggy with large nipples.  He is very self conscious about it.  We have talked about it but I try not to make an issue of it.  He sometimes jokes about it with me but I know it really bothers him. Although he still does things that kids his age do, he still proceeds with caution. He doesnt take his shirt off to swim, play or sleep. It has become a daily issue in his life.  I have recently purchased him some fitted tank tops to help minimize, I know it just masked the problem.

My question to the other men is should I consider surgery now?  Or should I wait?


I understand he is young but I really dont want him to have to live with the the issues that are already starting to show.  I want him to grow up be confident and proud of himself. 

[Ready for a change]

Im 18 and have it. I have missed out on soooo much because of it. If it was me i would wait a year and if no improvements  occur i would really consider it. Your son will miss out on a ton of stuff because of it.

[headheldhigh01]

first, good on you for investigating and especially for getting him the shirts 

13 is tough because it's still early enough he runs some regrowth risk since he's not out of the hormone irregularity woods yet.  see what a ps says.  there may not be an easy answer for your question however. 

one further thing, you can always wait for this thread to go away in a week or two and tell him you found a useful site yourself, the anonymity might let him feel free to open up and ask any questions he's had of his own. 

repeat, respect your investigation into the subject. 

[Paa_Paw]

I'm 72 year old and have had the condition since about the age of 12. Not only do I have a perspective of the condition as one who grew up with it, but as a parent and grandparent also.(The great grandchildren are still to young to be of concern at this time.)

The first thing I would like to do is to congratulate you for keeping the lines of communication open with your son. As You must know by now, gynecomastia can be devastating emotionally to a boy entering manhood.

If you have not already done so, your son should have a complete physical including lab tests to determine if his various hormone levels are what they should be. The best Dr. for this is not usually a GP in Family Practice. A pediatrician would be better and an Endocrinologist would be best.

Just as a postmenopausal woman will often experience shrinking of the breasts, a young man will often have the breasts regress as well. Obviously this does not work the same for everyone so we have middle-age women who are quite buxom and post pubertal young men with persistant Gynecomastia. Your son's age is an asset, careful medical monitoring of his passage through puberty can also help.

If his condition becomes fixed or stabilized for two or more years, it will not likely change significantly. In that case, you will likely be looking for a surgeon. Generally, surgery is best considered after puberty though there could be exceptions.

Again, Congratulations to your son for having such an understanding Mother.

Best wishes to you both.

[nasa3]

I vehemently disagree with waiting two ro more years to see if the condition will go away. Once the condition stabilizes and is not growing any worse, have it corrected. Of course do all the lab work to make sure there are no deeper problems, but this is such a disabling condition and it occurs at a time of life when you should be enjoying yourself, that you must have it corrected or it will haunt him for the rest of his life...

[Grandpa Bambu]

Congrats to you for being a great father.

Mother dude... 

GB...

[caringmom]

Thanks for everyone's advice.  I had no idea where to start.   

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

All concerned parents, such as yourself, wonder if age 13 is appropriate to have surgery performed -- a very legitimate concern.  Please let me share some of my experience with you.

First of all, if your son has had this condition for over two years, and it doesn't seem to be disappearing, then he may be a candidate for surgery.  Once gynecomastia is stable and established, it rarely disappears spontaneously. 

You may wish to have him seen by an endocrinologist just to check and make sure his hormones are within normal range.

You must also understand the vast psychological implications of this physical situation on your son -- in school, sports, swimming, and in social events.  In some cases, it can truly affect a young man's self image and self confidence.  Many men on this site has wished that they had had the surgery much sooner in their lives -- it would have spared them lots of mental anguish.

Finally, you, the parent, should assess whether your son is emotionally stable enough to understand the facts about having surgery.

Many parents are concerned about the possibility of recurrence of breast tissue if indeed their son does have surgery.  To date, I have operated on about 150 young men, from age 12 - 18, and have followed some of them for well over 12 years -- and to this date, not one has had a re-growth of tissue.

If you have further questions, don't hesitate to send me a PM.

Best of luck!

Dr Jacobs

[Grandpa Bambu]

First of all, if your son has had this condition for over two years, and it doesn't seem to be disappearing, then he may be a candidate for surgery.  Once gynecomastia is stable and established, it rarely disappears spontaneously. 

You may wish to have him seen by an endocrinologist just to check and make sure his hormones are within normal range.

Dr Jacobs

I agree with Doc Jacobs...  If your son has had this condition for 2 years or more, then you should definitely consider surgery. As Dr. J. mentioned, having an Endocrinologist check your son for hormone levels would be advantageous!

For many, living with Gynecomastia is a daily struggle. The sooner it's gone, the better!!!

GB...

[DrBermant]

My 13 yr old son has gynecomastia.  Although he is a bit over weight ( by only about 10 lbs), he has lost about 15 lbs and sprouted 3 inches this past year.  His breasts are pointy and saggy with large nipples.  He is very self conscious about it.  We have talked about it but I try not to make an issue of it.  He sometimes jokes about it with me but I know it really bothers him. Although he still does things that kids his age do, he still proceeds with caution. He doesnt take his shirt off to swim, play or sleep. It has become a daily issue in his life.  I have recently purchased him some fitted tank tops to help minimize, I know it just masked the problem.

My question to the other men is should I consider surgery now?  Or should I wait?


I understand he is young but I really dont want him to have to live with the the issues that are already starting to show.  I want him to grow up be confident and proud of himself. 

There can be a great deal of emotion and stress living with gynecomastia as you can learn about by watching the video I posted on that link.

Being patient helps, in most cases puberty gynecomastia goes away on its own. Gynecomastia that has not resolved by two years typically does not go away.

Check out my Teenage Gynecomastia Gallery.  Here you can find pictures before and after my gynecomastia surgery performed on teenagers and adolescent males.  The small image here will link to its much larger image - you can click on the details about this patient, the problem, surgical solutions, and results.

Here are some specific examples:

Male Breast Reduction in 16 year old Teenager

Male Breast Reduction in 17 year old Teenager with Klinefelter's Syndrome

Gynecomastia Male Breast Reduction in 15 year old male with Klinefelter's Syndrome

"How old should you be before considering Gynecomastia Surgery" are very common questions.  What age depends on many factors. 

We have many patients, family members, and parents who have raved how a compression garment can really help while waiting for surgery or until stabilization of a problem.

Body shaping garments are a good temporary contouring solution.  They do not help remove or treat gynecomastia.  When the garment is removed, the gynecomastia is still there.  They can provide an emotional band-aid for the stress of contour issues and bouncing tissues.

You can see actual examples of Compression Chest Contouring Without Surgery for different types of gynecomastia here:

Compression Contouring After Massive Weight Loss

Body Shaping for Puffy Nipples

Body Shaping Compression Contouring for Overweight Male - This one shows the Black Vest in use.

Body Shaper Compression Garment for Severly Obese Male

Check out the multiple views for each patient. Clink on the links to see other views of the garment and features of this design I prefer.  We have tried many other brands and none seem to come close to what this one offers.

After surgery compression garments do not do well in pool water or sea water.  The salt or chlorine can damage the fabric.  There are Sun Protection Clothing Options designed for water use. 

A wet suit can also help.  Using a thin neoprene like Microprene can flatten the chest in water like a compression garment can help on land.  The after surgery garments do not work well in water, the wet suits do.  Both can be hot to wear, that is why I prefer a very thin garment.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia Male Breast Reduction

[Grandpa Bambu]

Mom...

Watch this Video.

It deals with the emotional/psychological aspect of Gynecomastia. In addition, Dr. Lista explains his Gynecomastic Reduction Surgery technique... Very informative!

GB...