Men with breasts. This isn’t a title to a low-budget horror film, but it sure sounds like it could be, doesn’t it? Plenty of humor has been aimed at the issue of gynecomastia. For some, jokes about man boobs may be entertaining. For the man who has female-like breast tissue, such jokes are not harmless fun, they can feel devastating. A man with enlarged breasts doesn’t need humor, he needs compassion and, just as important, he needs solutions. We have one.

Dr. Rosenthal is a premier plastic surgeon who has served Silicon Valley for several years. Her training and experience enable men to regain the masculine chest contours that faded away as breast tissue took over the pec muscles. As much as interest in male breast reduction has increased, questions still remain. Fortunately, the biggest one revolves around recovery from gynecomastia surgery and not how male breasts should be treated (most men now recognize that surgery is the only long-term solution). So, to answer the recovery question, we offer a general timeline for what to expect.

What to Expect During Recovery after Gynecomastia Surgery

We must note that not all breast surgeries are the same. One man may need correction for nipple puffiness alone whereas another man may need more comprehensive correction that lifts tissue that has dropped below a crease that has formed on his chest. At this point, surgical techniques exist for nearly every scenario of male breast enlargement. Where technique changes, we may see slight variations in the timeline for recovery. Generally speaking, patients may expect:

• An initial post-operative visit the day after outpatient surgery. At this time, we may remove the dressing over incisions to observe healing, check drains, and apply a compression garment.
• The compression garment will be worn for at least a few weeks. This provides stability for healing tissues and also reduces swelling and fluid accumulation.
• A second post-operative visit about one week later. This is when drains are usually removed. The removal of drains should not be painful but may feel slightly odd.
• Limited physical movements for up to three weeks. Specifically, the arms may not be lifted overhead. Help may be needed to wash hair and get dressed.
• Limitations on exercise. Lower body exercises may resume as early as week two after surgery, depending on energy levels. Upper body exercises must be cleared before they resume. This usually occurs about 5 weeks post-op.

Male breast reduction is more than a cosmetic procedure. It is a tailored surgery that can give a man his life back. Learn more at 408-559-4700.