Breast Reduction for Men

Also known as gy-ne-co-mastia, is the development of abnormally large mammary glands in males which results in large breasts.

Men with large or sagging breasts can be both emotionally and physically uncomfortable.

Gynecomastia can affect a single side or both breasts. Although enlargement and tenderness of the breasts is not uncommon during puberty, it typically disappears by age 18.

For more mature men, gynecomastia is not uncommon and can be associated with obesity, cannabis use, heredity, liver disease, hormonal disorders or as a side effect of certain medications.

Some types of muscle building steroids or tumors of the testicles can also result in gynecomastia.

For men who cannot lose their breast size through weight loss or who have the breasts due to medical causes, a breast reduction surgery can help.

General Procedure

Plastic surgery to correct gynecomastia is technically called reduction mammaplasty, and reduces breast size, flattening and enhancing the chest contours.

In severe cases of gynecomastia, the weight of excess breast tissue may cause the breasts to sag and stretch the areola (the dark skin surrounding the nipple). In these cases the position and size of the areola can be surgically improved and excess skin may be reduced.

Medications are administered for your comfort during the surgical procedure. The choices include intravenous sedation and general anesthesia. Your doctor will recommend the best choice for you.

In cases where gynecomastia is primarily the result of excess fatty tissue, liposuction techniques alone may be used.  This requires insertion of a cannula, a thin hollow tube, through several small incisions. The cannula is moved back and forth in a controlled motion to loosen the excess fat, which is then removed from the body by vacuum suction.

Excision techniques are recommended where glandular breast tissue or excess skin must be removed to correct gynecomastia.  Excision also is necessary if the areola will be reduced, or the nipple repositioned to a more natural male contour. Incision patterns vary depending on the specific conditions and surgical preference.

Sometimes gynecomastia is treated with both liposuction and excision.

Any surgical treatment to correct gynecomastia will require incisions. While most incision lines are concealed within natural contours, some may be visible and are a necessary result of breast reduction surgery.

Recovery Process

After surgery, dressings or bandages will be applied to your incisions and an elastic bandage or support garment may be used to minimize swelling and support your new chest contour as it heals.

A small, thin tube may be temporarily placed under the skin to drain any excess blood or fluid that may collect.

You will be given specific instructions that may include: How to care for your surgical site(s) following surgery, medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the risk of infection, specific concerns to look for at the surgical site or in your general health, and when to follow up with your plastic surgeon.


Here is a list of drugs that may cause gynecomastia:
Amiloride (Moduretic); Amiodarone (Cordarone); Amphetamines; Anabolic Steroids; Antiandrogens (cyproterone); Anticancer drugs (cytotoxic); Androgens; Busulfan (Myleran); Captopril(Capoten);Cimetidine(Tagamet); Clomiphene(Clomid); Diazepam (Valium); Diethylpropion(Tenuate); Digitalis;Digoxin(lanoxin); Domperidone; Estrogens; Ketoconazole(Nizoral); Marijuana; ethyldopa; Metoclopramide; Nifedipine(Procardia); Nitrosourea; Penicillamine; Phenothiazines; Phenytoin (Dilantin); Reserpine; Spironolactone (Aldactone); Tricyclic antidepressants; Vincristine.