The Story of a Free Gynecomastia Case

We met this young patient through his mother, who was also a patient of ours. He had been teased so badly early in his high school years that he had dropped out of sports and withdrawn from many of his peers. We decided that this kind of case deserved pro bono treatment. Dr. Yoho performed gynecomastia surgery. Gynecomastia is more commonly known as "man-boobs" or "moobs". Some males develop breast tissue, typically during puberty. Although this is a pretty common condition, many boys and men who develop it feel self-conscious and isolated.

Boys and men can not only feel as self-conscious as girls and women, young men who develop this condition can even be embarrassed about feeling self-conscious. That very self-consciousness is seen as a weakness in some circles, and we all know how cruel our school peers can be. Many men grow up not wanting to take off their shirts during sports or at the beach. They feel embarrassed around their male peers, and extremely shy around girls or women as well. Even going to the gym can be a source of discomfort, and it's discouraging for these men to discover that no amount of fat-burning exercise can cure their condition.

Gynecomastia surgery is actually fairly simple as far as cosmetic surgeries go, and recoveries are usually relatively quick and uneventful, with excellent results. While nothing in surgery is guaranteed, gynecomastia surgeries have very high satisfaction rates. The process involves liposuction, and sometimes excision of a small amount of breast tissue. Many men are well on their way to surgical recovery within a day.

Post op, he's on his feet and recovering already!

We hope that we have made a difference in this young man's life. We are grateful to him for sharing his story. He agreed to let us publish his interview and photos online, which was very courageous. We hope his story will inspire others as well. While a few people still consider cosmetic surgeries to be for the vain and frivolous, Dr. Yoho has seen many times over what a real difference it makes in people's lives.

Dr. Yoho's Recent Experiences with Athletics

Dr. Yoho and Judy Yoho enjoying the great outdoors

Dr. Yoho was an enthusiastic amateur athlete who did a lot of climbing, biking, and other activities in the outdoors. However, with a rock-climbing fall in 2008, he's had some pain in his left foot when he walks. For this reason, he has cut his training down to conditioning level, and although he does exercise every day, unfortunately he can't look forward to all of the outdoor activities that he used to do. 

 Currently he's very interested in kettlebell training, and is being trained by a registered kettlebell instructor. The kettlebell exercises are limited to only four main types; a sort of a swing between the legs and up in front of your body, an Olympic-style clean and jerk and Olympic-style snatch, and finally a special exercise called Turkish getup. This odd and slow exercise that was mentioned last can be looked up on the Internet and observed, and it is a very powerful exercise for strengthening the core muscles, including the low back and the abdominals. Dr. Yoho is able to do this exercise with 55 pounds several times. 

The other thing he is still able to do is ordinary weight-lifting and Bikram Yoga. With the Bikram Yoga, he is able to stay flexible and although he suffers in that heat, he thinks it's good for him. 

If you have questions about diet and exercise and you are Dr. Yoho's patient, feel free to ask them at your follow-up visit or your consultation visit.

 Dr. Yoho's Background 

Did you know that 2011 represented the 20th year that Dr. Yoho has been practicing cosmetic surgery? 

He has earned various awards and passed many tests in his progress towards his current level of expertise. He passed the boards in the American Board of Laser, and also is Board-certified in Emergency Medicine, the American Society of Medical Specialties. This last certification is an extra safety factor for his patients. He additionally passed the boards in cosmetic surgery, and is one of only two surgeons in the country who passed both the cosmetic surgery boards and is also Board-certified in emergency medicine.   

Dr. Yoho has trained over 50 physicians who have observed him in his office and given preceptorships for them and is currently and will be the president in 2012 for the American Society of Cosmetic Breast Surgery. 

He has presented over 20 times at national meetings, most recently in 2011, and also has published in scientific journals for cosmetic surgery over 20 times. He attends between four and ten cosmetic surgery educational meetings every year. 

His office experience encompasses more than 10,000 surgeries, and we think that our best recommendation is that over 95 percent our patients are either return patients or referrals from other cosmetic surgery patients. 

THE DEEP OBAGI PEEL AS EXPERIENCED BY THE SURGEON

During my cosmetic surgery training, one of my mentors was Dr. Obagi, a Los Angeles cosmetic surgeon. Since I had facial acne scars, I asked him to perform a deep T.C.A. peel. I was given Valium and other medications, and the peeling solution was painted on. I had some pain when I woke up, but it was not too bad. The recovery process involved a very swollen face for several weeks, but my skin came out baby-soft and smooth with much improved acne scars.

Peeling does not usually remove all scars, so I didn’t expect perfection. I looked much better after the procedure. I remember thinking as I was standing in my front lawn looking out at Los Angeles that if I had trained anywhere else I probably would not have had this adventure. But the results were delightful and I am now able to tell my patients what the recovery is like from a personal perspective.

Since that time, laser peeling has largely replaced T.C.A. peeling for Los Angeles Cosmetic Surgery patients. It’s a bit more predictable, with easier recovery times. But we still use T.C.A. sometimes, as it’s cheaper and gives nice results for selected patients.