Male Breast Reduction (Gynaecomastia surgery)
Gynaecomastia is the medical term for male breast enlargement. It is a common condition and can affect one or both breasts. There are a number of causes for this condition including hormonal imbalance during adolescence, certain diseases and the side effects of some medicines and drugs. Important causes can be excluded by a thorough clinical assessment and blood screening tests but in the vast majority of cases no identifiable cause is found. This condition can lead to discomfort in the breast area as well as anxiety, significant psychosocial issues relating to embarrassment, low self esteem, reluctance to participate in sport and lack of confidence in relationships.
There are a number of surgical procedures for gynaecomastia. All are performed under general anaesthesia. Depending on the complexity of the procedure required, the operation can take between 2-3 hours and require a 1-2 day hospital stay. In cases where the excess breast tissue is soft and fatty in nature, and particularly when there is not a large amount of excess skin, then liposuction can be very effective. During this procedure, the excess fatty breast tissue is aspirated (sucked) away by a hollow tube placed under the skin through very small access cuts in the skin located at the periphery of the breast tissue. If the amount of excess breast tissue is too firm to be removed by liposuction, then a cut is made around the lower half of the nipple/areolar complex and the excess breast tissue excised, and the wound stitched with dissolving sutures. If, in addition to breast tissue that is too firm for liposuction, there is a lot of excess skin, then a donut shaped area of skin around the nipple is excised to reduced the excess skin as well as excising the excess breast tissue. The wounds are closed with dissolving stitches.