What is Gynecomastia and How is it Treated?

Recently, many men have been turning to plastic surgery for male breast reduction. Gynecomastia, commonly referred to as “man boobs,” is an embarrassing condition where men have excessive breast tissue, giving them the appearance of enlarges breasts. Unfortunately, for men with this condition, no amount of push-ups and cardio will eliminate the excess tissue and fat, however, male breast reduction with liposuction can help.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), there were nearly 27,000 male breast reduction procedures performed in 2017, a 30 percent increase from the year 2000. At Advanced Cosmetic Surgery, our board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Levi Young understands how this condition may make you feel self-conscious. If you suffer from this condition you may avoid activities you enjoy or even wearing certain clothing for fear of making your affliction more obvious.

For many men, gynecomastia is caused by an imbalance of the male hormone (testosterone) and female hormone (estrogen) in the body. If a male produces too much estrogen, the tissue in their glands can swell, forming enlarged breasts on one or both sides of their chest. This may actually happen in adolescence and during puberty but generally corrects itself by the time the teen reaches adulthood.

For adult men who suffer from gynecomastia, the hormonal imbalance can be caused by a number of factors, including:

• A genetic disposition for the imbalance
• Certain cancers in hormonal glands such as testicles, pituitary, or adrenal glands
• Certain medications including steroids, antidepressant drugs, and heart medicines
• Hormones that change as you reach middle age and older
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Excessive weight gain

How your gynecomastia is treated depends on the severity of your condition and the density of the breast glands. At our office, Dr. Young will evaluate your specific situation during a comprehensive consultation. It will be during this time that he’ll determine the best course of action to produce the results you desire.

If your condition is mostly fat and you have good skin laxity, then liposuction by itself may be the solution to correct your condition. Just as with other areas of the body being treated with liposuction, the procedure is performed while you’re under general anesthesia at an outpatient surgery center.

If you have firm glandular tissue or have excess skin present the best approach may be to excise the glandular tissue. For certain circumstances, a combined approach of liposuction and excision may be needed to produce satisfactory results.

Dr. Young will discuss all of these options with you, as well as evaluate your current health, during your consultation to make sure this procedure is the best solution for you. If you’d like to set up a consultation to learn more about male breast reduction, please contact our office by filling out the form on this page or by calling us at 913-341-2188. We proudly provide men and women quality plastic surgery services in Kansas City, Leawood, Leawood, and other nearby areas of Kansas and Missouri.