Gynecomastia Surgery and Vaser Liposuction – Procedure Overview

What Happens During Gynecomastia Surgery with VASER Liposuction?

Gynecomastia surgery is a medical procedure used to treat the condition of enlarged male breasts, also known as gynecomastia. The goal of the surgery is to:  

• Removes the glandular tissue and/or fat excess
• Removes any excess skin
• Restores the natural aspect of the chest area

This is usually achieved by removing the enlarged gland through excision. However, depending on the individual case of the patient, both liposuction and gland excision may be needed to achieve the desired results.  

VASER liposuction is liposuction using ultrasound-based technology. The ultrasound emits pulses of energy wherever it encounters fat, which “melts” the fat without damaging the surrounding tissue.  

Dr. Nurein likes this technique because he is trained in high-definition sculpting, and it helps him get the contours that he wants in the chest. VASER also allows him to reduce the downtime of patients, reduce the risk of irregularity and unevenness, and minimise the risk of bruising.  

Here is the overview of the gynecomastia surgery procedure, including VASER liposuction and gland excision, explained by Dr. Nurein:

STEP 1 – PREPARING THE PATIENT FOR SURGERY 

We start by marking the chest with the areas where we plan to make an incision, and drawing the shape we want to achieve.  

To prepare the patient for surgery we inject local anaesthetic using the tumescent technique. This firms up the area we want to work on and plays a key role in reducing bleeding during the procedure.  

The benefit of a local anaesthetic is also reduced downtime for the patient. It can take a couple of hours longer to recover from a general anaesthetic, whereas with local anaesthetic you can get up straight after the procedure. We can also talk to the patient and let them know what is happening. However, the patient can’t actually see what’s happening, because they’re covered – as protection and we find that this tends to reduce patient anxiety.  

STEP 2 – THE PROCEDURE 

Once the entire area is numb, we make small incisions in the crease of the arm and the areola. We then insert a thin VASER probe, which sends high-frequency ultrasound waves through the fat cells in the chest.  

Some patients will have breast gland tissue which needs to be removed. This cannot be removed by liposuction only, so in a gynecomastia procedure, we are often combining liposuction with gland excision surgery. The breast tissue is removed through a small incision made around the areola.  

To prevent the areola from sinking in after surgery we will leave some tissue for support. As already mentioned, the benefit of the VASER system is that it allows surgeons to “sculpt” the area, and create the shape the patient wants. So it isn’t necessarily about removing all of the fat, but making sure it’s in the right shape and contours.

STEP 3 – FINISHING OFF 

Once we are satisfied that we have removed the gland tissue and achieved the right shape, the skin is closed up with small stitches. We do a quick safety check of the patient, then the procedure is over. 

You should be able to go home straight away once all of this is clear.  

We will follow up with a call and consultation to see if your recovery is going according to plan.