Gynaecomastia Surgery and Male Breast Reduction
Surgery for gynaecomastia aims to remove excess breast tissue, fat and skin from the male breast.
The Procedure
Surgery for gynaecomastia aims to remove the excess breast tissue, fat and skin from the male chest.
There are four grades of gynaecomastia depending on the size of the breast tissue and the amount of skin (Simon Classification).
As part of the pre-operative work up, a full endocrine (hormonal) screen will be employed to ensure there are no underlying causes.
A baseline ultrasound scan will also be performed to ensure it is true gynaecomastia (glandular tissue as opposed to pseudo-gynaecomastia which is adipose or fat tissue) .
An ultrasound scan will clearly delineate and establish the size of the glandular tissue as well as exclude the presence of any suspicious mass within the breast tissue.
Surgery usually consists of a combination of liposuction followed by glandular excision.
In some circumstances, it may be necessary for skin to be removed.
Surgery is performed under general anaesthetic classically as a day case or with a one night stay in hospital (patient preference).
Drains are usually only placed if an open excision is performed and are left in place for a period of approximately 24 hours.
It is necessary to wear a support garment for a period of six weeks post-operatively.
As part of the surgical work up, a Vectra 3 dimensional computer simulation scanning is produced and this can help patients gain a realistic expectation as to the potential aesthetic result of surgery.
Complications and Risks
All Procedures have potential complications and risks. These can be divided into general complications and those specific to each procedure. The latter are listed in the FAQs below.
General complications include:
- Wound complications - bleeding, bruising, collections under the skin of blood (haematoma), pus (abscess), serous fluid (seroma), infection, wound breakdown, suture extrusion, sensory loss;
- Aesthetic complications - poor scars, stretched scars, raised scars (keloid or hypertrophic), contour irregularities, need for revisional procedure;
- Anaesthetic complications
