Liposuction Question

[dan95]

Is liposuction always a necessary part of gynecomastia surgery? Is it used on patients with a poor chest contour or is it needed in preventing deformities/irregularities? From what I have researched, liposuction and excision is usually the correct way to perform most gynecomastia surgeries. However, if I am already satisfied with the shape and development of my chest, would liposuction even be necessary in a case of puffy nipples? I don't have that much chest fat and would be a bit disappointed if my chest shape changed for the worse, even if the gynecomastia was corrected.

[Litlriki]

Generally speaking, liposuction is an integral part of the gynecomastia removal in most cases. It serves to contour the fat around the "gland" once that's excised, which helps to minimize potential for a crater deformity or other contour issues, and it also helps with skin retraction and re-draping in cases where that's needed.  Additionally, even in leaner individuals, often the fat in the chest in patients with gynecomastia may be that sort of fat that picks up size quickly and loses it slowly, resulting in the soft appearance of the chest even when an individual is lean.  By doing liposuction in conjunction with the excision, this fat is reduced, and if the patient gets heavier over time, this may help to minimize recurrence of a fatty looking chest. 

[Dr. Schuster]

I agree with Dr. Silverman. Liposuction is also very helpful in order to get a smooth appearance. It is not that a lot of fa is removed but it the action of the procedure that helps skin redraping and retraction.

[DrPensler]

Nothing is 100% but having said that I think liposuction is typically useful for a number of reasons ,even in cases with minimal fat. Its helpful for me to establish the plane of dissection below the gynecomastia in addition to optimizing the appearance after the resection. Correction is not just "take the tissue out" but rather remove then optimize..

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Agree with all my colleagues.  Realize that liposuction generally removes fat.  But the liposuction instrument, called a cannula, can also be used simultaneously as a dissection instrument.  I use the cannula on every single gynecomastia case, for reasons my colleagues have previously stated.  In the rare case where there is minimal fat on the chest but puffy nipples present, I will still use the cannula but without the suction turned on -- it is then working as a pure dissection instrument to help the skin re-distribute.

Dr Jacobs