The Ultimate Guide to Gynecomastia Surgery

Gynecomastia is the enlargement of breast tissues in males. Although it’s not necessarily fatal, this medical condition can affect one’s confidence, self-esteem, and emotional health. Thankfully, there is a solution. Get a naturally masculine-looking chest with gynecomastia surgery with the help of a highly qualified plastic surgeon. 

Dr. Hugh McLean is certified as a specialist in plastic surgery by the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada and the American Board of Plastic Surgeons, Inc. He has decades of experience performing chest masculinization surgeries to correct gynecomastia in men.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the entire process involved in a male breast reduction surgery for addressing gynecomastia. 

Let’s get started!

Diagnosing Gynecomastia in Men

According to Medical News Today, a typical diagnostic procedure for suspected gynecomastia cases involves a series of physical and laboratory tests to rule out other possible causes. The most common causes of gynecomastia in men include:

• Hormonal changes
• Long-term use of certain drugs (i.e. anti-androgen, anabolic steroids, and anti-anxiety medications)
• Alcoholism and substance abuse
• Underlying health issues

During your initial consultation, your doctor will inquire about:

• Symptoms you are experiencing
• Medical history
• List of prescribed medications you are taking
• Family medical history

A physical examination will follow this to check your breast tissues, genitals, and abdomen. Doctors will generally attribute it to hormonal imbalance for patients going through puberty and advise them to wait for it to resolve on its own within a year or two naturally. In some cases where the lump is abnormally large, painful, and a nipple discharge is present, your doctor may suggest a biopsy to rule out possible breast cancer risks.

Further imaging tests may also be advised, including:

• Mammogram 
• Chest X-ray
• CT scan
• MRI scan

Techniques Used in Male Breast Reduction Surgery

Losing weight can usually make a difference to reduce the size of male breasts, except if there’s excessive glandular tissue present. In this case, male breast reduction or mammoplasty is the best treatment option for gynecomastia.

With gynecomastia surgery, your surgeon’s primary goal is to reduce the breasts’ size and enhance the natural contours of the chest area to achieve a more masculine appearance. It’s an outpatient surgical procedure performed under oral or intravenous sedation and local or general anesthesia. 

Liposuction for Gynecomastia

Liposuction is a cosmetic surgical fat reduction technique that can also be used to extract the fat tissues of the chest area. The process involves creating a three to four millimetre-sized incision on the side of the breasts, within the armpit, or around the edge of the areola (periareolar incision), where your surgeon will insert a cannula, which is a thin and hollow tube, to suction out stubborn fat deposits. 

Depending on your case’s complexity and your surgeon’s preferred surgical techniques, liposuction methods, such as tumescent liposuction, ultrasound-assisted liposuction, or laser-assisted liposuction, may also be used. During your gynecomastia procedure, your surgeon will also do body contouring on the chest area to enhance your natural physique aesthetically.

Excision Technique

In some cases, gynecomastia surgery may be a combination of liposuction and excision techniques, especially when there’s a significant amount of glandular tissue around the breasts or excess skin that needs to be removed surgically. This is especially true for patients with severe gynecomastia who already have loose and sagging skin around the breast. Excision is also required if the areola will be resized or the nipple will be repositioned when sculpting a more masculine chest.

Will Gynecomastia Surgery Leave Scars?

Technically, all surgical procedures will leave scars; gynecomastia surgery is not an exception. However, a skilled and qualified cosmetic surgeon will make inconspicuous incisions that are carefully hidden along the chest’s natural creases. Speak with your gynecomastia specialist about concerns regarding plastic surgery scars. In addition to advanced surgical techniques, they can also suggest silicone-based topical creams or laser treatments to minimize the risk of scarring post-surgery.

How to Prepare for Gynecomastia Surgery

Once you’ve been scheduled for your gynecomastia surgery, your surgeon will give you some instructions, such as: Stop the intake of some medications or supplements, such as anticoagulant drugs or Ginkgo Biloba. According to Harvard Health, these blood thinners pose higher-than-normal bleeding risks during and after the operation because your blood won’t clot properly. During your consultations, be as detailed as possible with your doctor about the drugs or vitamins you take, so he can update it and advise you accordingly.