A Retrospective Review of Arthroscopic Shaver Utilization in Adolescent Gynecomastia

This study compares the arthroscopic shaver and liposuction with other established methods for treatment of adolescent gynecomastia.

Surgical management was via four operative techniques: open excision, open excision/liposuction, arthroscopic shaver/liposuction, or open excision and free nipple graft. Data were collected and compared using independent t tests, linear regression models, and one-way analysis of variance.

Patients were stratified by Rohrich grades I -II (low) (N = 47) or III -IV (high) (N = 13). The groups were similar in age (P = 0.662) with lower BMI in the low-grade group (x̄ = 25.36 ± 2.1) vs. high-grade group (x̄ = 27.62 ± 4.0; P < 0.001). The low-grade group showed no significant difference in operative time across surgical techniques with decreased mean operative time in the high-grade group using the arthroscopic shaver technique (x̄ = 55.8 ± 7.56) compared with open excision (x̄ = 70.83 ± 11.02, P = 0.04), open excision plus liposuction (x̄ = 89.5 ± 24.93, P = 24.93), and open excision plus free nipple graft (x̄ = 81.67 ± 19.11, P = 0.05). There was no significant difference in complication (P = 0.84) or reoperation (P = 0.68) rates across surgical techniques regardless of grade.

These findings suggest that the arthroscopic shaver is safe and effective for treatment of both low- and high-grade gynecomastia in adolescents. The results yielded a similar incidence of complications and reoperation across surgical techniques, and the arthroscopic shaver approach demonstrated a shorter operative time compared with other techniques for high-grade gynecomastia.