December 17th, 2009
SOY OR NOT TO SOY, THAT IS THE QUESTION!
In an earlier blog we looked at lavender oil and the possibility of it causing moobs, due to many recent articles about soy milk as a possible culprit we have quoted a couple of articles for your consideration. But keep in mind, the best
way for you to discover what your particular cause may be is to be evaluated by your doctor who may refer you to an endocrinologist. It is very possible that what might cause gynecomastia in one man may not cause it in another.
According to USMagazine.com in a November 3, 2009 article; Jeremy Piven is suggesting that drinking too much soy milk led to growth of male breasts. Apparently soy milk has a lot of estrogen and that can cause feminine characteristics to develop in males. It has been proven that soy foods lower sperm count in men.
The lesson to remember is that excess of anything is bad and that is what he was doing, drinking up to 12 cups of milk a day. You don’t have to give up your soy consumption in form of tofu or milk as long as you eat it in small amounts. In case you already have them, then moob surgery is an option.
Jeremy Piven blames his impressive man boobs not on age or a lack of exercise, but soy milk.
“I was the guy that dabbled in soya milk, but now I’ve found out soya milk has enough estrogen for me to grow breasts; I had to put the soya milk down. It was a very confusing time.”
Despite the fact that Jeremy drank almost four times the recommended daily allowance of soy and more than double the amounts used in clinical testing, there is no scientific basis to his claim. According to a nutritional expert from St. Catherine University in Minnesota a study was released on hormones in men and their relation to soy. “Usually, studies only go as high as 150 mg of isoflavones a day. And a reasonable intake would normally be about 100 mg a day, which are four full servings of soy. Soy has been studied extensively for 20 years,” she says, “and we haven’t found man boobs yet.”
Then there is an interesting article in Men’s Health addressing this issue, we have copied and pasted some of it for you below, for the full article go to: www.menshealth.com
Is This the Most Dangerous Food for Men?
Jim Thornton
The unassuming soybean has silently infiltrated the American diet as what might just be the perfect protein source: It’s cheap and vegetarian, and could even unclog our hearts. But there may be a hidden dark side to soy, one that has the power to undermine everything it means to be male
James Price’s breasts had been painful and swollen. It looked as if gum balls were implanted underneath each nipple. The slightest touch triggered throbs.
For Price, a retired U.S. Army intelligence officer who once flew attack helicopters in Vietnam, these changes were more than just physically uncomfortable. “Men aren’t supposed to have breasts,” he says today in a quiet Texas drawl. “It was like my body was feminizing.”
The first three doctors Price consulted diagnosed him with gynecomastia, or the abnormal enlargement of the mammary glands in men. Tests further revealed that estrogen levels in his bloodstream were eight times higher than the normal limits for men, higher even than the levels typically seen in healthy women. Price’s estrogen was so high, in fact, that the doctors were at a loss to explain it. One physician became so frustrated he eventually accused Price of secretly taking estrogen. “He thought I was a mental case,” says Price, still angry as he recalls the experience.
Dispirited and in pain, he decided to try one more doctor, this time a fellow military man. He made an appointment with Lieutenant Colonel Jack E. Lewi, M.D., chief of endocrinology at the San Antonio Military Medical Center. During that first meeting, neither doctor nor patient had any inkling of just how long and complex this medical mystery would prove to be. Dr. Lewi initially checked for “usual suspect” lifestyle factors known to trigger gynecomastia, from alcoholism to certain herbal ingredients, like tea-tree oils and lavender..
In the classes that Dr. Lewi teaches to medical students and residents, he has long offered this advice: If you’re not finding the right answers, you’re not asking the right questions. Though he’d asked Price about his lifestyle and habits innumerable times, he decided to go back once again, and this time to make his questions as specific as possible. “I said, ‘Let’s go over your diet, meal by meal, and you tell me every single thing you eat and drink.’ He said, ‘Sure, Dr. Lewi. I get up and usually have some cereal.’ I said, ‘Do you put anything on it?’ He said ‘Soy milk.’ ”
Price explained that he’d developed lactose intolerance in recent years and had switched to soy milk exclusively. It had, in fact, become one of his favorite drinks, a great thirst quencher in the Texas heat.
He asked Price how much soy milk, on average, he drank each day. “He told me, ‘Probably about 3 quarts,’ ” recalls Dr. Lewi about the moment that changed everything.
Of course, most medicines have side effects. And when you consume soy protein, you’re actually courting the Mr. Hyde side of two natural drugs: genistein and daidzein. Both act so similarly to estrogen that they’re known as phytoestrogens (plant-produced estrogens). Soybeans couldn’t care less about human sex characteristics—genistein and daidzein may have evolved to act as chemical defenses against fungi and grazing animals. (They aren’t very effective deterrents, apparently, since soy meal is widely used to feed livestock.) But when humans consume these compounds in high enough quantities, they may experience gender-bending nightmares like James Price’s. What’s more, studies of these phytoestrogens in leading peer-reviewed medical journals suggest that even lower doses—such as the amount in the 25-gram soy protein target cited by the FDA—have the potential to wreak hormonal havoc.
So again, it is important to be aware of your own specific diet and habits so that you can discuss them with your doctor/surgeon.
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December 11th, 2009
What? Breast Cancer in Men??
When Rob Fechtner of Napa woke up one morning in 2006 to a sore spot on his chest and a strange indentation in his nipple, his first thought was that he’d pulled a muscle. Even his doctor told him it 
was probably nothing to worry about.
But the inverted nipple bothered him, and with a little online research he learned it was a symptom of breast cancer – in men as well as women. He pushed his doctor for a mammogram, and two days later he learned that he did, in fact, have breast cancer. He’s since had a mastectomy and been treated with chemotherapy.
“Before I went on the Internet, I had no idea men could get breast cancer,” said Fechtner, 51. “I should have known in the back of my mind that it was a possibility. We need to get the message out there to men.”
Monday, December 7, 2009 (SF Chronicle)
Men need to check for breast cancer, too Erin Allday, Chronicle Staff Writer
The above is an excerpt from a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle. There has been very little information in the media about breast cancer in men. When men come in for a consultation with Dr. Delgado, most are surprised when told that men can get breast cancer, however according to the American Cancer Society it is usually in men of an average age of 67. Some breast cancers are linked to inherited (from either parent) mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 tumor supressor genes. While it is very rare in men…less than 1 percent of all breast cancer cases in the United States according to the American Cancer Society, it must be addressed when evaluating any breast surgery for men and women. That is why anytime Dr. Delgado does a breast reduction surgery, breast tissue samples are sent to pathology.
Dr. Delgado has done many breast reduction surgeries for women. Twice he has had the pathology report come back positive for breast cancer. This is devastating news to share with a patient that has just undergone surgery, but most likely has saved their lives.
Better news for men, of all the gynecomastia cases Dr. Delgado has performed, none of the pathology reports have come back positive for breast cancer. That does not mean you are not at risk, most people know of at least one man who has had breast cancer, or you may not be aware of it because men are much less likely to discuss it.
Many men, on hearing the requirement of the pathology test, request not to have it done in order the save the additional expense, which can run as high as $500. This is not where you want to save money…this can save your life. If you have private insurance, most likely your insurance company will cover the cost.
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November 30th, 2009
HOW MUCH DOES GYNECOMASTIA SURGERY COST?…..
AND HOW DO I PAY FOR IT??
For many patients, a large factor in deciding if they will proceed with surgery will be its affordability. However, this is not a surgery that has a flat fee, it is a very personalized procedure and many factors need to be taken into consideration for each patient. Ideally the best way to receive a quote is to come in for a personal consultation with Dr. Delgado. Sometimes men want to know ahead of time what the cost will be especially if they live a distance away or due to the fact that they really have no idea and want to know if it is something they are even able to consider. Dr. Delgado understands this hesitancy and therefore offers a free phone consultation if the patient is able to email photos and provide a phone number. The patient would then be given a quote and would know exactly what to expect. Having a phone consultation not only provides the patient needed information but will also give him the opportunity to get to know Dr. Delgado and feel comfortable with his vast knowledge of gynecomastia as well as his compassion for men with this condition.
The cost for the surgery usually begins at about $7000; this would include all office visits, surgery center fees and anesthesia. Depending on how severe the case is would determine how involved the procedure will be. For more severe cases, sometimes a small breast lift may be needed to achieve the best result. In even more severe cases, a secondary procedure may be needed ….this is information that will be provided to you when consulting with Dr. Delgado whether in person or on the phone.
Deciding how to pay for the surgery can be a challenge. Some are fortunate enough to have the money on hand, but many do not. Sometimes a close friend or relative who understands how important this is to the patient may be in a position to help. Generally though, that may not be the case. Since this is such a private matter, most men do not want others to know about the surgery. We do not offer “in house” financing but we do accept MasterCard and Visa. We have referrals to companies that specialize in loans for surgical procedures. They have various payment plans and you may find one that works into your budget. We will be happy to work with you on this once you decide to move forward.
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November 11th, 2009
THE ART OF ANESTHESIA
Many patients voice a concern over what type of anesthesia is to be used for the gynecomastia surgical procedure. Most surgeons will opt for general anesthesia unless the patient objection is great and even then unless a medical condition prevents it, most surgeons will not concede. It is important for the patient to understand why general
anesthesia is the best in almost all cases. Gynecomastia can be a three to four hour procedure or longer if the patient decides to have additional surgery at the same time such as liposuction of the flanks (love handles) and or abdomen. Keeping the patient comfortable is of utmost concern, and general anesthesia is the best way to achieve this.
General anesthesia has come a long way in recent years, risks have been greatly minimized. You hear of surgical procedures on babies that can last for hours, this is possible because of the great advances in technique and the drugs involved. Of course it is important to verify that the anesthesiologist is board certified as is Randy Gaynor, M.D. who is the anesthesiologist on staff at Marin Cosmetic Surgery Center.
At your initial consultation with Dr. Delgado, he will discuss anesthesia with you, he will want to know if you have had any other surgical procedures in the past, and if so what type of anesthesia. If you proceed with scheduling surgery, Dr. Delgado will discuss anesthesia with you again at your pre operative appointment which is usually two weeks prior to surgery. If you have a history of any possible complications you will also receive a call from Dr. Gaynor, who will ask questions in detail and may want reports from other physicians who have treated you. If you do not present with any known complications, you will still be receiving a call from Dr. Gaynor the night before surgery. He will go over your medical history in detail and will explain what to expect during surgery.
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October 29th, 2009
It is a known fact that excessive estrogen production in men can cause development of breasts, known as gynecomastia, nickname moobs (male boobs).
Researchers have been looking at the possible causes of excessive estrogen production “in vitro” (an artificial environment outside the human body) and “in vivo” within the human body. And the result is inconclusive as with many studies. Why will the very same conditions effect one man and not another? No one knows. However it is interesting to be aware of what researchers are looking at and then you can make a decision for yourself.
Hormone treatment in animals has long been believed to cause breast development in men, and therefore have been outlawed in most countries for years, (Australia’s beef however is an exception). The incidence of “moobs” is still on the increase causing researcher’s to continue their quest to find the cause or causes.
In the last couple of years, lavender oil and tea tree oil have come under scrutiny. A report in WebMD whose source is The New England Journal of Medicine states:
(WebMD) Repeated use of products containing lavender oil or tea tree oil may spur breast growth in prepubertal boys, experts report in The New England Journal of Medicine.
“This report raises an issue of concern, since lavender and tea tree oil are sold over the counter in their ‘pure’ form and are present in an increasing number of commercial products, including shampoos, hair gels, soaps, and body lotions,” write researchers Derek Henley, Ph.D., and others. Henley works at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“We want to encourage doctors who may be seeing patients with gynecomastia to ask their patients about the products they are using,” says Henley’s colleague, Kenneth Korach, PhD, in a NIEHS news release. “Patients with prepubertal gynecomastia may want to consider reducing the use of products that contain these oils,” says Korach.
Henley and colleagues investigated reports of three healthy boys who hadn’t started puberty and who developed breasts, a condition called gynecomastia, after using products containing lavender or tea tree oils.
It’s rare for prepubertal boys to develop breasts, the researchers note.
One of the boys was 4 years old. His mother had applied “healing balm” containing lavender oil to his skin shortly before the boy’s breasts developed and grew to about an inch in diameter.
Another boy was 10 and had been using a hair-styling gel daily that contained lavender and tea tree oils.
The third boy — nearly 8 — had been using lavender-scented soap and skin lotions. His fraternal twin had used the same products but didn’t develop breasts.
The boys’ breasts receded within months after they stopped using the products.
Henley’s team conducted lab tests on human breast cells exposed to lavender and tea tree oils. The tests showed that lavender and tea tree oils may boost estrogen (a sex hormone that promotes female characteristics and is linked to breast development) and hamper androgens (sex hormones that promote male characteristics and inhibit breast growth).
The researchers call for more observational studies to track prepubertal gynecomastia in boys using such products.
Henley and colleagues don’t mention specific products in their report, and they’re not ruling out the possibility that the boys’ breast growth may have stemmed from other causes.
It’s often hard to pinpoint the exact cause of gynecomastia, the researchers note.
However, “We conclude that repeated topical exposure to lavender and tea tree oils probably caused prepubertal gynecomastia in these boys,” write Henley and colleagues.
“We do not anticipate any long-term effects on hormone levels” in the boys, Henley says in an NIEHS news release.
SOURCES: Henley, D. The New England Journal of Medicine, Feb. 1, 2007; Vol. 356: pp. 479-485. News release, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health.
And then Wikipedia has this to say about the above report:
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Lavender oil has recently been implicated in gynecomastia, the abnormal development of breasts in young boys. Denver endocrinologist Clifford Bloch hypothesized the link after three boys presented with enlarged breasts. Subsequently, Derek Henley and Kenneth Korach of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, N.C., discovered in lavender and tea tree oil the presence of compounds which both suppress male hormones and mimic female hormones.
Because sex hormone levels normally are low prior to puberty, young boys and girls particularly are sensitive to estrogenic and androgenic compounds. The discovery of the gynecomastia link in boys has led some researchers to suspect lavender and tea tree oils, which are present in various personal care products including shampoos and lotions, may also contribute to the increased incidence of early breast development in girls.
Discontinuation of use of these products resulted in rapid reversal of gynecomastia in Bloch’s young patients.[4][5]
However, the conclusion that the gynecomastia actually was caused by the essential oils in the products used by the three boys are currently being disputed by the Natural Artisan Perfumers Guild and Cropwatch on the claimed basis of insufficient evidence.
As you can see the jury is still out on the causes of gynecomastia for the individual man. The best advice is to consult with your doctor and go over your personal medical history in detail to determine your best course of action.
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October 28th, 2009
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED…PART TWO
The hardest part is making the decision to move forward with gynecomastia surgery, hopefully after speaking with your surgeon, your questions have been answered and you feel a huge relief knowing someone out there is able to 
help you. But your surgeon is not geographically close to you, in fact perhaps in a city or state you have never even been to. After your phone consultation with Miguel A. Delgado, Jr., M.D., he will put you in touch with his patient coordinator who will help you every step of the way. Dr. Delgado does surgery on Mondays and Thursdays. Most guys want to return home as soon as possible. We have found that for our out of town patients that Thursdays work the best so that you may be seen Wednesday, the day before surgery, at our San Francisco office for your pre operative visit. Usually with a Thursday surgery it is possible to leave for home the following Tuesday after your post operative appointment. Once your surgery date has been determined, Dr. Delgado will want you to have a blood test to make sure you are healthy and can proceed with surgery. This should be done prior to making your travel plans! We can mail the lab request to you or your own doctor can order it. The tests results needed are for a CBC (complete blood count) and a PT/PTT (which determines blood clotting time). Dr. Delgado wants to be sure that there will not be any bleeding issues during surgery. After Dr. Delgado evaluates the results of your blood test and approves you for surgery, you can proceed with your travel arrangements. Let us know if you are coming by car or plane so that we can help you with directions. Ideally you will have a family member or friend traveling with you as you do need someone to stay with you at your hotel the first night of your surgery. We know that sometimes it is not possible to have someone come with you; in that case we have well trained care givers that we can help make arrangements to stay 
with you. There are several hotels nearby our Novato location which is where our surgery center is. We recommend The Novato Oaks Inn, which is only a mile or two from the office. If you mention that you are a patient of Dr. Delgado’s they will give you the corporate rate. They have a very nice restaurant on the premises, and also room service. If you do not have a car or wish to rent one, the hotel has a free shuttle service to our office. To see additional services and make reservations you may go to their website www.novatooaksinn.com or call their toll free number…..After you have returned home, Dr. Delgado will want to monitor your healing progress and has found that if patients email photos, he is able to do this very well. If you have any concerns or issues you will be relieved to find how easy it is to reach him by phone.
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October 7th, 2009
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED…..
It is quite a journey to find out all you can about “moobs”, man boobs, male breasts, or technically known as “gynecomastia”. Not long ago you couldn’t even find gynecomastia in the dictionary, 1995 edition of Webster’s (not there, I checked).
Men rarely discuss such issues with each other. Women on the other hand can discuss their latest trip to their plastic surgeon in the same conversation and ease that they discuss their last hair appointment. Now with the vast amount of information available on the internet men can and do research this sensitive condition in the privacy of their own home. Some sites such as www.gynecomastia.org even have chat rooms and message boards where men can ask questions of each other and share their experiences.
After many hours of research, one may decide to go to the next step for scheduling surgery. What might that be?
Finding the right surgeon. Back to the internet, read as much as you can about surgeons that specialize in male breast reduction. We see too many patients that have spent thousands of dollars, and are unhappy with their result. Secondary surgery is more complicated because there is scar tissue involved and sometimes too much breast tissue was removed that can cause unnatural chest contouring.
So now you have narrowed your search down to maybe 2 or 3 surgeons in all of the United States that have excellent reputations for performing gynecomastia surgery. You have found a surgeon that does at least 100 cases a year, you have seen before and after photos of many of his/her patients and you have had a complimentary personal phone consultation with the doctor and now you have picked your surgeon….but your surgeon is a thousand, maybe two thousand miles away, now what?
This is not a new situation at the office of Miguel A. Delgado, Jr., M.D. For years patients have been seeking out Dr. Delgado for his expertise in male breast reduction, now popularly known as moobs. Patients have come to our offices in San Francisco and Novato from all over the world; Afghanistan, Australia, England, Italy, China and Hawaii to name just a few.….if they can do it, so can you. We will help you every step of the way. In our next blog we will give you more specific information on how we do this. However, if you want information now, please contact us at (415) 898-4161 or email info@dr-delgado.com. Also, you might want to check out Dr. Delgado’s new website dedicated solely to gynecomastia.
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September 23rd, 2009
If moobs were in the New Oxford American dictionary, it might read; Moo-bs n. American slang, meaning male breasts.
Also known as gynecomastia;(Brit gyn-ae-co-mas-ti-a)n (medicine) enlargement of a man’s breasts, usually due to hormone imbalance or hormone therapy.
The term moobs became popular around the time the “bro” was introduced on Seinfeld, the “bra” for men, designed to compress and hide the male breast. There have been a lot of insensitive jokes and comments for this very embarrassing condition for men that attack their egos and self image. Through many television shows, this condition has been brought to the forefront of awareness for many men who thought they were the only ones with such a condition. Most men suffered silently only to find out there are many men with this condition. But the biggest revelation that many discovered was that there is a surgical treatment to flatten their chests.
This blog has been created to give ongoing information about gynecomastia (moobs). 
Dr. Miguel Delgado has been specializing in this procedure for over 20 years and does more than 100 cases a year. He chose to specialize in this procedure shortly after finishing his residency program as he discovered very few plastic surgeons were trained in it.
You are invited to ask questions or leave comments; Dr. Delgado will do his best to answer all enquiries personally. You may wish to visit his website that is dedicated solely to gynecomastia .
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way for you to discover what your particular cause may be is to be evaluated by your doctor who may refer you to an endocrinologist. It is very possible that what might cause gynecomastia in one man may not cause it in another.
The first three doctors Price consulted diagnosed him with gynecomastia, or the abnormal enlargement of the mammary glands in men. Tests further revealed that estrogen levels in his bloodstream were eight times higher than the normal limits for men, higher even than the levels typically seen in healthy women. Price’s estrogen was so high, in fact, that the doctors were at a loss to explain it. One physician became so frustrated he eventually accused Price of secretly taking estrogen. “He thought I was a mental case,” says Price, still angry as he recalls the experience. 
