Gynaecomastia surgery is the correction of prominent abnormal male breast tissue.
It occurs because all men have the female X chromosome and so there are minute amounts of female hormones produced all the time (Oestrogen and Progesterone). This is a normal condition in 3 phases of life – as a newborn, puberty and in senescence. The most common time for men to seek treatment is in the late teens or early 20’s. The textbooks say that this condition will always resolve with time however this is not the case in clinical experience. The condition may be as mild and a small protrusion of the nipple to as severe as large droopy breasts. There are different operations designed for the differing severities of the condition. In principle there is an excess of 3 elements – those being glandular tissue, fat and skin.
For the mildest types, liposuction alone may suffice. However, as the severity increases generally you will need an additional excisional procedure of the gland tissue +/- skin. The scars vary but are usually hidden at the junction of the normal chest skin and the lower areolar of the nipple. Your fully trained plastic surgeon will advise you which scar pattern will be best suited to your individual needs.
