Dr Ivan Puah Designs Tailored Surgical Technique To Address Bodybuilders' Prominent Breast Deformity Issue

SINGAPORE, October 2020 — The use of anabolic steroid is a common practice in the preoccupation for a muscled physique particularly among male bodybuilders. Among those who engage in such practices, some have developed breast deformity called gynecomastia or enlarged male breasts.

Using Synthetic Male Sex Hormone Testosterone To Boost Energy & Build Muscles

Synthetic male sex testosterone in the form of anabolic steroids is widely used among amateur gym-goers and professional athletes, and bodybuilders for muscle building as well as performance enhancement.

As the use of anabolic steroids is deemed illegal by doctors and professional sports associations, those who use them are likely to obtain them from alternative channels. Without proper medical advice and monitoring, those who use these substances have high risks of developing side effects and complications.

Anabolic Steroids Side Effects & Male Breast Enlargement

Anabolic steroids use comes with many side effects. Men who use anabolic steroids are putting themselves at risk of various health issues that include gynecomastia, acne, balding, growth retardation, infertility, and heart disease. Aside from medical conditions and health issues, it can also lead to psychological issues such as mood swing, depression and anger.

Anabolic steroids cause male breast enlargement, a type of breast deformity in men. Most often, men do not give enough consideration to this side effect, but this condition, once developed, could be irreversible. Gynecomastia not only affects one's appearance but also can be physically painful.

Dr Ivan Puah's Unique 360 degrees Glandular Tissue Dissection Technique

Addressing gynecomastia in bodybuilders requires a different approach. Unlike the average men who suffer from this condition, bodybuilders who abuse steroids usually develop enlarged vascular breast tissues. They typically have minimal fat tissues as they are relatively lean and fit with a fat percentage less than 10 percent.

Special attention is needed to prevent bleeding and scarring when it comes to treating bodybuilders with gynecomastia issues. Hypertrophied chest muscles present with a higher risk of bleeding due to the increased blood flow within the tissues. Additionally, the use of anabolic steroids and certain unregulated supplements may also increase the chance of excessive bleeding. Besides removing the enlarged breasts tissues, special attention is required to sculpt and shape their chest to bring out or enhance their musculature, allowing them to achieve the physique that they hope but have been unable to achieve from training and diet management. For instance, some bodybuilders with gynecomastia would see Dr. Ivan Puah to get their glands reduced, and chest musculature sculpted months before they start training for events or competitions. This allows them to heal properly and be ready as planned.

To address this, Dr. Ivan Puah developed the 360 degrees Glandular Tissue Dissection (360 degrees GTD®) technique. In this technique, an endoscopic-line incision, no bigger than 4mm, is first created to allow infiltration of anaesthetic fluid on the area to be treated. Through this incision, a 360 degrees GTD® is then performed carefully following the physiological disposition of the glandular tissues. This surgical technique effectively reduces the invasive factor of the procedure, allowing a more desired cosmetic outcome.

VASER Lipo is performed on areas with excessive fatty tissues around the breasts. The VASER probe breaks down the fat cells efficiently via ultrasonic sound wave energy. All this is being done while leaving the surrounding connective tissues, blood vessels and nerves relatively undisrupted. Dr. Ivan Puah will then carefully suction the liquefied fat with a specialised VASER cannula. He will further contour the chest to leave a more sculpted appearance. VASER Lipo is not only effective in body contouring but as it also stimulates collagen production, it is equally efficient in skin tightening.

"The use of anabolic steroids is not an uncommon practice among professional and amateur bodybuilders. This may, unfortunately, expose them to increased risks of adverse effects with gynecomastia amongst one of the most common complications. Many affected athletes often do not know how or where to seek help when it affects them. With the introduction of our 360 degrees Glandular Tissue Dissection, we can help these affected athletes," Dr Ivan Puah explained.

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