Background and Objective:

Surgical Ultrasound assisted liposuction (USAL) is widely used in the management of body lipodystrophies. In gynecomastia, it has been reported that thus combination of ultrasound and liposuction has proven an improved effectiveness and better outcomes. We present our experience in the management of this pathology using USAL exclusively and as adjuvant measure of conventional open surgery.

Methods:

A descriptive and single cohort study was performed during the second semester of 2017 with patients' records from the Plastic Surgery Department of Sanatorio Los Arroyos and Hospital Privado de Rosario (Rosario, Argentina), treated between 2011-2016. A total of 43 patients diagnosed with gynecomastia, with ages between 16 and 70 years, retrospectively assessed and stratified into 2 groups according the therapeutical approach. Group 1, treated with USAL exclusively (n=26) and group 2, treated with combined USAL and open mammary glandular tissue excision surgery (n=17). Postoperative downtime, complications and patient's satisfaction were assessed.

Results:

None had any major complications requiring additional measures. The only reported minor complication was significant thoracic bruising in 4 patients (2 in each group). All patients showed adequate skin retraction and 30 days post-operative results satisfaction. We found wide differences when compared the reported postoperative downtime, where group 1 reported a mean of 7 downtime days versus 11 downtime days for group 2.

Conclusions:

USAL is an important therapeutical measure when treating patients diagnosed with gynecomastia. It's especially useful when treating gynecomastia with fatty dominance, being effective by itself. Additionally, when treating patients with significant glandular tissue which needs surgical excision (mixed gynecomastia), USAL seems to be an useful adjuvant measure to achieve an outstanding outcome with optimal skin retraction and minimal complication rates.

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