Surgical management of gynecomastia - a 10-year analysis

BACKGROUND: Gynecomastia is defined as the benign enlargement of the male breast. Most studies on surgical treatment of gynecomastia show only small series and lack histopathology results. The aim of this study was to analyze the surgical approach in the treatment of gynecomastia and the related outcome over a 10-year period. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients undergoing surgical gynecomastia corrections in our department between 1996 and 2006 were included for retrospective evaluation. The data were analyzed for etiology, stage of gynecomastia, surgical technique, complications, risk factors, and histological results. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients with 160 operations were included. Techniques included subcutaneous mastectomy alone or with additional hand-assisted liposuction, isolated liposuction, and formal breast reduction. Atypical histological findings were found in 3% of the patients (spindle-cell hemangioendothelioma, papilloma). The surgical revision rate among all patients was 7%. Body mass index and a weight of the resected specimen higher than 40 g were identified as significant risk factors for complications (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of gynecomastia requires an individualized approach. Caution must be taken in performing large resections, which are associated with increased complication rates. Histological tissue analysis should be routinely performed in all true gynecomastia corrections, because histological results may reveal atypical cellular pathology

Computer-aided structural design of drawing dies for stamping processes based on functional features

[[abstract]]This paper describes a structural design system for 3D drawing dies based on functional features using a minimum set of initial information. In addition, it is also applicable to assign the functional features flexibly before accomplishing the design of a solid model for the main parts of a drawing die, such as upper die, lower die, and blank holder. The initial information includes blank sizes, work strokes, die faces, punch open lines, and press data. The proposed system integrated the design knowledge of drawing die into functions of 3D computer-aided design (CAD) software to automate design and to shorten design time. This design system is constructed on a PC and integrated with a Pro/ENGINEER CAD system including feature selector, shape calculator, model generator, design coordinator, and user interface. The proposed system is demonstrated using the example of designing a drawing die for the roof panel of a vehicle within 1 h. The results reveal that it can dramatically improve the design quality and can save both time and costs with excellent design quality