general questions

[fisherbob]

i dont have gynocomastia and i am not a fat guy but the fat that i do have seems to like to store in my breasts. they arent huge (btw how do i measure them so i can be more specific) but they are big enough to make me very self-conscious of them, how i dress, look , etc. questions:
-i jog for 30 min every AM--suggestions for support?
-can they be reduced through more excersise? or will things like push-ups just push them out more?
-what kind of surgery options are available nowadays? I heard a while ago there is a very minimally invasive procedure where they make very small incisions to do the work--anyone done this? also what kind of recovery time for this and how long would I not be able to run for?
-types of clothes to conceal--for example, i wear t-shirts under shirts, wear thick fabric shirts, etc.

thx

[Paa_Paw]

Some people distinguish between true and pseudo Gynecomastia. I do not.

The first would seem to be the case if a person had glandular tissue and the second would be the case if they had fatty tissue. From your post, I presume you think you have the latter condition.

The problem is that the usual finding is that there are threads of glandular tissue through a mound of fat. Since all of us have some fat in that area and all of us have some glandular tissue in that area at what relative amounts would we say one kind is present and not the other?

As to the treatment, It would be essentially the same. Most surgeons would use liposuction initially followed by excision as needed.

While the basic description of the process sounds quite simple, It is an art form not unlike sculpture and requires the services of a well qualified specialist.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Any excess tissue on a male chest can be considered gynecomastia -- there are no hard and fast rules as to "how much" has to be there in order to qualify it to be called gynecomastia.

In my experience, virtually all men with excess tissue on their chest have some degree of breast tissue as well as fat.  When one diets and exercises, one will lose fat -- but not breast tissue.  Also, when one diets, one cannot dictate to one's body where the fat should come off. In fact, as many men ruefully know, fat on the chest (and the abdomen and love handles) is the first area to accumulate fat -- and the last areas to lose the fat.

Most surgeons approach treatment with minimal incision liposuction.  If that is not successful, then usually a small incision around the edge of the areola will allow for appropriate completion of the tissue removal.

Dr Jacobs

[fisherbob]

one of my biggest concerns with surgery is does it raise the incidence of cancer or other complications? i ask this because the surgery is upsetting the body's natural way of balancing itself (as much i may not agree with the way it is doing it!) as far as where extra weight is stored. so if i am healthy now, and then the whole system is disrupted, can this result in the body not being able to readjust itself to the changes properly and thus result in a new illness or problems of some kind? have any studies been done in this regard?

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Surgery for gynecomastia does not raise the possibility of breast cancer -- period!  Breast cancer does exist in men -- but is exceedingly rare.

Dr Jacobs