Male Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery
Male Plastic Surgery
Male plastic surgery in the UK includes a variety of elective hand conditions, reconstructive surgery, and a limited amount of cosmetic surgery.Of the elective hand conditions Dupuytrens contracture, carpal tunnel and trigger finger release are common referrals.
Dupuytrens disease is a chronic contracture on the palmer surface of the hand resulting in a fixed flexion of the fingers most commonly in the small and ring fingers. The plastic surgery statistics on this condition are as follows: Incidence increases with age with a mean age of onset of 45 in males and 54 in females. There is a male preponderance of 3 or 4:1, declining with advancing age so that by the 80s the sex incidence becomes equal. About 65% are bilateral. Early onset is a poor prognostic indicator. There is a tendency to run in families.
This sort of plastic surgery in the UK is best performed by fully trained plastic surgeons with a specialist interest in hand surgery. The best resource available to identify such a surgeon is the British Society for Surgery of the Hand (BSSH) website www.bssh.ac.uk
Male cosmetic surgery referrals are on the increase. The two most common referrals to plastic surgeons being liposuction to the abdomen, and male breast conditions. The latter is termed gynaecomastia and commonly involves both breasts. The referrals for gynaecomastia are either in the patient’s adolescence or 35-45yrs. The treatment involves either liposuction, if the breast is deemed to consist of mainly fat or open excision if the breast is deemed to consist mainly of gland. Sizes and shapes can vary and the complication of removing too much tissue is common. The best resource for identifying plastic surgery consultants to carry out such surgery is www.baaps.org.uk
