Men’s Health
Becoming Masculine, Again
HOW One doctor is treating gynecomastia in a more effective way
by derek genovese
Dr. Robert Wilcox, of the Plastic and
Cosmetic Surgery Center of Texas in Plano, Texas, has developed a new and more
effective way to treat gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia is a condition when a
male develops woman-like breasts. This
can be a result of obesity as well as the
glandular tissue. The tissue is the hard
fibrous area that you can feel under the
nipple and areola. Many young men develop it with the onset of puberty as well
as men of all ages without any antecedent.
Typically, gynecomastia has been a
very unfulfilling surgery for both the
patient and the surgeon. Dr. Wilcox explains, “The reason why is 99 percent of
surgeons are using the same technique
that’s been done for the last 80 years.”
He continues, “The standard procedure begins by first putting the patient
to sleep. Next, a 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock
incision is made around the areola. The
surgeon starts cutting out the tissue under direct vision. Once the incision starts
bleeding, the surgeon can’t see very well.”
As a result, the patient may not end up
with the right contour, or a depression
can form. If fluids build up, drainage
tubes are inserted from the side to drain
out the fluid.
About nine years ago, Dr. Wilcox came
up with a new idea where the patient
would not be left with a scar on the chest,
and no drainage tube is needed. Dr. Wilcox can remove both the fatty tissue and
glandular tissue by creating an incision
under each arm. He uses two tools: ultrasonic liposuction, and a multi-jointed
cutting device. The multi-jointed cutting
device is inserted through the incision all
the way down to the nipple and cuts out
the glandular tissue.
After everything is cut out and the
Fall 2013
breast is flat, Dr. Wilcox re-injects the
entire field with a long acting anesthetic
so the patient is pain free while wearing
the compressive garment. The incision is
then closed and the procedure is over.
Patients spend 45 minutes to an hour
in the recovery room and the procedure
area stays numb until the next day. The
compressive garment is worn for three
weeks underneath street clothes.
“There is a follow up eight to ten days
post-op, six weeks after the first visit, and
three months after the second visit,” says
Dr. Wilcox. “Then the process is complete and the patient is delighted with
their results.”
See Dr. Wilcox talk
about gynecomastia at
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