Gynecomastia (Male Breast Reduction)

You are not alone if you are a man living with overdeveloped male breasts, which is a condition known as gynecomastia. Gynecomastia affects an estimated 40 to 60 percent of men. It can be the result of hormonal imbalance, obesity, certain drugs or heredity and can affect one or both breasts. An excess of glandular or fatty tissue is present, or a combination thereof.

If you are like many of Dr. Yau’s patients with gynecomastia, you may feel self-conscious or embarrassed about the appearance of your chest. Perhaps you find yourself having to wear loose-fitting clothing and wishing you had a flatter, more masculine chest contour. If you are ready for a change, this procedure may be right for you.

Gynecomastia surgery reduces the size of the male breasts by removing excess fat and glandular tissue to restore a more masculine and athletic body shape. The procedure can be performed on men whose breast development is complete and who are emotionally stable with good overall health.

Male Breast Reduction Procedure

Gynecomastia surgery is usually performed on an outpatient basis and can be done under local anesthetic (while awake) or general anesthesia depending on which technique is used. The procedure usually takes 1 to 2 hours.

Dr. Yau will assess whether your breasts consist mainly of fatty or glandular tissue. Based on this, she will either perform liposuction alone, surgical excision alone or a combination of the two. If your breasts consist mainly of fatty tissue, Dr. Yau will perform liposuction to suction out fat through incisions made in the nipples or underarm areas. For breasts with an excessive amount of glandular tissue, excisional surgery is required, and Dr. Yau will make incisions (usually on the bottom edge of the areola) to allow for excess tissue to be removed. If the areolas/nipples need to be repositioned or excess skin needs to be excised, she will require additional incisions. Sutures are then used to close the incisions, which are subsequently bandaged.

Recovery From Male Breast Reduction Surgery

Following gynecomastia surgery, there will be some bruising, swelling and discomfort. Discomfort usually dissipates after a few days and can be lessened with prescribed pain medication. To help reduce swelling, a compression garment is worn for about 4 to 6 weeks, during which time strenuous activities are avoided. Swelling and any skin discoloration partially subside after 1 to 2 weeks and patients typically return to work within this timeframe. Surgical results are significant and permanent with a high level of patient satisfaction.