[Treatment of pseudogynecomastia in massive weight loss patients: Liposuction assisted and made-to-measure desepidermization technique].

BACKGROUND: After massive weight loss (MWL), the chest in men may show significant deformities. The surgical treatment of gynecomastia after MWL remains a difficult and partially misunderstood surgery due to 4 main factors: a complex excess of skin in height and width that sometimes continues in the axilla or dorsal region, a predominantly fatty rather than glandular component, the malposition of the nipple-areola complex (NAC) that is often enlarged and an inframammary fold (IMF) that is often marked. The techniques currently described are either insufficient or lead to frequent and/or significant complications. The authors describe a new approach that dissociates the treatment of the volume and the skin with a customized resection that is simple, reproducible and safe. Our goal is to improve patient satisfaction while reducing complication rates.

METHODS: Seventeen patients with adipomastia with excess skin after massive weight loss were operated on using liposuction and skin redraping technique. The authors describe the technique, indications and contraindications of the procedure and analyze the results.

RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 39 years. The average body mass index (BMI) before weight loss is 42,7kg/m2 , the average weight loss before body correction is 49kg, with an average delta of BMI loss of 15,34kg/m2. The average stay in hospital is 1,3 nights. No patient had major complications (hematoma, hemorrhage, necrosis, thrombophlebitis, immediate surgical revision to treat complications). Minor complications including scar dehiscence, infection, steatonecrosis, and distant scar correction were reported in 2 patients, i.e. 11%.

CONCLUSION: Liposuction assisted and desepidermization torsoplasty is a new technique for correction of pseudogynecomastia in MWL patients. The results are reproductible and the complication rates are low. There is no dead space and therefore no drains are needed. There is little pain and a short hospital stay. This technique is simple, quick and easy to learn. However, it is only applicable in adipomastia. A different technique should be used in the presence of firm glandular tissue.