Can removing glands change your hormonal balance?

[radio]

It's been awhile since I've been on here. In the fall of 2009, I had my glandular tissue removed, along with lipo. The procedure was done by Dr. Fielding in Toronto. The results were wonderful. I haven't really looked back since, and haven't come on this forum since. To be honest, in the last 5.5 years, I forgot I ever had gynecomastia from the age of 12-26.

Anyway, I'm back here because I have a question for the doctors and experts that come on this forum. After having your glandular tissue removed, is it possible that your hormonal balance can change? For example, estrogen levels, testosterone levels, free testosterone levels, or bioavailable testosterone levels, or anything else? Can it impact your sex drive? And is the male breast tissue somehow linked to the endocrine system?

Please let me know if this is possible, or if it has ever occurred for anyone. Thanks in advance for being such a wonderful resource for men!

[Alchemist]

HI Radio,

I would be surprised if it didn't make some kind of difference.  Also, several nutritional insufficiencies can cause the same problems, and more, and be triggered by something that puts strain on the system such as surgery or traumatic injury.  It often follows 3-5 years later, falling off the edge can be a slow motion thing.  Good luck.  Hope you can get some more specific answers.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

To the best of my knowledge, removing breast tissue will have no effect on your endocrine system.  Remember, breast tissue does not secrete any hormones -- it only grows in response to hormones secreted by other parts of your body.

On the other hand, if your testes were removed, that's another story.

Dr Jacobs

[radio]

Thank you for the response, Dr. Jacobs.

I grew breast tissue at the age of 12, during the onset of puberty. It never went away, until I had it surgically removed at 26. What hormones were being secreted at the age of 12 that would cause the formation of breast tissue in a male? Too much estrogen?

Thanks again.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Ah -- you have asked the gold question!!

The standard reply is that there is an imbalance of your testosterone and estrogen.  However, every young man goes through puberty with spurts of testosterone, etc -- why doesn't every male get gynecomastia?

My answer is that there must be a genetic pre-disposition towards gyne as well -- but we don't know how it works or what it is.  We do know, though, that a certain percentage of males will develop gyne at puberty and then it will resolve spontaneously.  Others develop gyne and it remains -- and we just don't know why.

Sorry can't be more specific.

Dr Jacobs