Generally about the treatment
Aesthetic surgery for men is a rapidly growing trend. A breast enlargement operation for men has the purpose of giving the patient's chest more volume.
The operation consists of placing a silicone breast implant in each of the breasts. These are not the same as those used on women, but prosthesis especially designed for the male anatomy.
Be aware that the insertion of these implants will only give the patient a larger chest. The muscle fibres will not become visible through the skin, and the breast will not be defined in the same way, as what can be achieved through intensive physical exercise.
Breast enlargement surgery can be suitable for bodybuilders, who are unable to achieve the desired body shape despite intensive training, but also for men who want an improvement in the appearance of their upper body, but haven't got the time for the extensive training.
Male breast enlargement can also be suited for men who have suffered injuries to the chest musculature, or for men whose chest musculature is absent (Poland's syndrome).
Implants can vary in shape and size, making individual customisation, according to the needs of the patient, possible.
The procedure
It is advised to stop training for 1-2 weeks before the operation takes place, seeing as this will make the healing process easier.
A cut is made in the patients' armpit. That way the incurred scars will be hidden. By the help of an endoscope (small viewing instrument) the surgeon creates a pocket under the chest muscle, in order to make room for the implant. The chest muscle won't be separated from the ribs or breastbone, contrary to breast enlargement operations for women.
A flexible and durable silicone implant made from cohesive gel (firm gel) is adjusted to the patient's chest, then put in through the cut, and is placed directly underneath the chest muscle. Then the other implant is put in, and the doctor will finish off by assuring symmetry before he starts stitching up.
Anaesthesia
The operation is most often preformed under general anaesthesia and under hospitalisation.
Side-effects
Some pain will occur throughout the following 4-5 weeks. This can, however, be reduced with medicine. Later on, the patient will experience soreness, discomfort, and itching. They will also incur some contusion (bruising), although this will fade in time.
Risk of complications
There is a risk of imprecise placement of the implant or for an infection to occur around it, making another operation necessary.
There is a risk of the scar tissue surrounding the artificial implant becoming very tight and hard. This is caused by the organism's reaction of the unnatural shape of the implant, and is called capsular contracture, or capsular contraction.
As with any form of surgery, there is a risk of complications related to the anaesthesia, bleeding, infection, poor healing, and blood accumulation.
No form of surgery is risk free, but please note that severe complications are very rare.
There is the risk of the implants moving around over time. With a slight shifting this will go unnoticed, but in case of considerable asymmetry a new operation will be necessary in order to correct the balance.
Numbness of the inner upper arm may occur temporarily or in worst cases permanently, if the nerve is damaged during the placement on the prosthesis.
Healing and recovery
Bandages and the sutures (the threads used for stitching) will be removed after a couple of days. Work may normally be resumed in a week or so. Strenuous activities such as weight lifting and aerobics should be avoided for 4-6 weeks. After a month, the scars will slowly become more faded and difficult to see.
Duration of the result
A breast enlargement operation for men usually takes between 1-2 hours, depending on the character and anatomy of the patient.