The augmentation of breast tissue in men, medically known as gynaecomastia, could be the result of hormonal changes, obesity, use of certain drugs, or other. The cause of this medical condition is not always clear, but it could occur in men of different ages.
| City | Average Cost | Cost Range |
|---|---|---|
| London | £4,500 | £3,800 – £5,500 |
| Manchester | £4,000 | £3,500 – £5,000 |
| Birmingham | £3,900 | £3,300 – £4,800 |
| Bristol | £4,200 | £3,600 – £5,000 |
Male breast reduction is an operation that aims to remove excess fatty tissue in order to reduce the size of the breast (man boobs), allowing for a more defined chest contour.
There’s a lot that a gynaecomastia procedure entails, so you can’t just decide to have it one day without first learning about it. That said, this in-depth guide will cover everything you need to know about male breast reduction surgery, from its cost and consultation to what you can expect before, during, and after the procedure.
Main Topics
How Much Does Gynaecomastia Surgery Cost?
The price of breast reduction surgery for men in the UK ranges from £3,500 to £5,500, with the average that you should expect to pay being £4,500. The price may or may not include the costs of consultations and aftercare
There’s a host of factors that can influence price variation, including the surgeon’s experience and reputation, selected hospital, complexity of the operation per patient, number of hours required to carry out the operation per patient, and anaesthetist’s experience. You must also consider the costs of potential combined operations such as liposuction.
To receive a price that’s tailored to your specific case and needs, you must book a consultation in order to be assessed by a specialist.
Make sure the price you receive covers the experience of your chosen BAAPS/BAPRAS specialist, cost of CQC hospital, overnight stays, follow-up appointments, and aftercare.
Most cosmetic surgery consultations in the UK tend to be free, with no obligation from your end to carry on with the procedure.
What to Expect During Your Initial Consultation?
Breast reduction surgery consultations tend to last anywhere between 15 to 60 minutes, during which the BAAPS/BAPRAS surgeon will inquire about your requirements as well as discuss a range of topics.
Some of the topics the specialist will discuss include the degree and cause of gynecomastia, quality of breast tissue as well as the skin around the breast area, medications being taken, and history with smoking or drug use.
The specialist will also review your current and past medical history, in addition to your family’s history with breast cancer. Lastly, the surgeon will address any worries or concerns and answer any questions you may have about the operation.
After all the inquiring, the specialist will begin examining your breasts, taking measurements in the process. The specialist may also take confidential photos for reference.
Patients must be completely honest and as candid as possible with their plastic surgeons. Clear communication is key to getting the best possible results.
The consultation shouldn’t be all about the specialist asking you questions. You should take it as an opportunity to ask questions as well.
Some of the questions you should ask include:
- What are the potential risks and complications?
- Will there be any scars and what will they look like?
- Are my expectations from this surgery realistic?
- What are the different breast reduction techniques?
- When can I return to work after the procedure?
These are just some of the questions that came to our mind as we were writing this guide. We highly recommend writing down all of the questions that you want to ask your plastic physician about prior to the consultation so that you get as much clarity about the operation as possible.
How to Pick a Surgeon for Your Plastic Surgery?
Before you go about choosing a surgeon, you must bear in mind that all independent hospitals and clinics in the UK must be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and so we strongly recommend that you check the CQC’s site to see if your chosen clinic/hospital is registered or not.
It’s worth noting that some clinics utilize paid advertisement in order to rank on search engines, so don’t make the internet your primary means of choosing a clinic.
As far as choosing a physician, you must make sure that the surgeon is registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) with a license to practise. The surgeon must also be a full member on the plastic surgery specialist register of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) or British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS).
Don’t hesitate to ask about your surgeon’s qualifications and experience during your appointment. You can also ask about the number of breast reduction procedures they’ve done, their patient satisfaction rate, and type of follow-up plan they have in the event of post-operative complications
Who Are the Best Candidates for Gynaecomastia Surgery?
Male breast reduction is one of those surgical procedures you can’t just have simply because you’re unhappy with how your breasts look.
As mentioned previously, this condition could be the result of various conditions, including obesity and drug/medication use. So, before thinking about undergoing breast reduction, you must consider the cause of your case of gynaecomastia so that you can work on reversing it.
For example, if you’re taking drugs or medications that are causing hormone imbalance, stop taking them. If you’re overweight, try shedding off some weight. Make breast reduction surgery your final resort.
With that said, the best candidates for male breast reduction are the ones that had no response to medical treatment or weight loss. Further, men who have a healthy BMI of under 30 and who aren’t suffering from serious medical conditions are ideal for a breast reduction.
Lastly, you’re ideal for the operation if you have realistic goals and you’re looking for an effective and long-lasting solution to your chest enlargement problem.
Gynaecomastia could occur in adult and adolescent men, which begs the question: can adolescent men undergo a breast reduction? Yes, they can. However, they may require another operation after the first cosmetic surgery because, at that age, their bodies would still be developing.
What Are the Different Grades of Gynaecomastia?
There are four grades of gynecomastia. The more glandular tissue (breast tissue) a man has, the higher the gynecomastia grade. The inframammary fold (IF), which is the line where the chest and breast meet, is used as a reference point for gynaecomastia classification.
Gynaecomastia grades breakdown:
- Grade 1: In this grade, the breast tissue is located under the nipple, with no loose skin or extra fatty tissue. To treat this grade, the specialist makes a cut under the lower half of the areola to remove the breast tissue.
- Grade 2: In this grade, there’s notable excess breast tissue. And, in some cases, it may blend with surrounding fat. Still, there’s no excess skin. To treat this grade, excision and liposuction are required.
- Grade 3 & 4: In these two cases, there’s notable breast development and a presence of excess skin. Treatment includes extensive incisions to remove excess breast tissue and skin. Treatment may also require liposuction.
What Does Male Breast Reduction Surgery Involve?
A male breast reduction procedure takes around 90 minutes and is performed under the effect of a general anaesthetic to ensure that the patient is asleep throughout the operation. Depending on the severity of the case, the patient may get discharged the same day or stay overnight.
Before anything surgery-related takes place, the patient will be required to sign a consent form on the same day of the operation or at the preoperative assessment. After handing over the consent form, the doctor will begin drawing lines around the breasts, highlighting the area to be operated on.
The surgeon will then start discussing the patient’s goals and expectations. It’s also worth noting that the doctor may ask for your permission to take photos of your upper torso area before and after the operation in order to put them in your medical record.
Next, an anaesthetic will be administered by the hospital’s anaesthetist. It could either be a local anaesthetic with intravenous sedation or a general one. The choice is made based on each individual case. From there, you’ll be taken to the operating theatre and the operation will start.
There are various techniques utilized by BAPRAS/BAAPS specialists depending on each individual case. The choice of technique will boil down to the amount of fat, skin, and breast tissue.
Keep in mind that your cosmetic specialist may resort to liposuction rather than a breast reduction technique. Alternatively, the specialist may resort to a combination of both liposuction and incisions in severe breast enlargement cases. Note that the more excess fat, breast tissue, or skin a patient has, the bigger the incisions are likely to be.
After choosing an ideal breast reduction technique, the specialist will begin removing excess fatty tissue with the aid of a scalpel. If the cosmetic surgery entails removing a lot of tissue, the cosmetic specialist may need to reposition the nipples.
The surgeon will then utilize sutures in order to seal the incisions and a dressing will be applied over the area. Drainage tubes may be placed under the skin to help with the swelling and bruising. Lastly, the patient is sent to the ward to recover. Patients may return home on the same day of the operation or the very next day.
What Are the Different Male Breast Reduction Incisions?
The incision technique that a breast surgeon is going to opt for will differ from one case to another. The following paragraphs shed light on the different types of incisions used in male breast reduction surgery.
Periareolar Incision
If the surgeon is operating on a patient with a moderate amount of excess tissue and skin, a periareolar cut will probably be the technique to opt for. It’s a vertical cut that goes all the way down to the breast fold, and it’s accompanied by a cut around the areola.
Anchor-T Incision
This type of cut is opted for when dealing with patients who have a notable amount of excess skin and breast tissue. It’s also a vertical cut, but it’s accompanied by an extra cut along the fold.
Liposuction
Lastly, the specialist may choose to opt for liposuction rather than the above-mentioned incisions, which will entail making tiny incisions under the breast and armpit.
What Are the Risks and Complications of Male Breast Reduction?
As with any surgical procedure, there are some potential risks and complications associated with male breast reduction surgery, including:
- Loss of nipple sensation
- Bleeding and bruising
- Haematoma
- Lumps and swelling
- Breast asymmetry
- Problematic healing
- Obvious scarring
- Infection
- Uneven breasts
- Necrosis
- Allergic reaction
- Seroma
- Blood clotting
What to Expect After Male Breast Reduction?
To ensure the best possible results from the procedure, there are a number of things that you’ll have to do during the recovery period. Firstly, you’ll be required to put on an elastic support garment to help support your upper torso area. You need to wear the garment day and night for the first few weeks after the surgery because your breasts are likely to be super sensitive during that period.
As far as showing and bathing, you probably won’t be able to shower for a few days following your operation. You’ll also have to avoid saunas, swimming pools, and hot tubs for at least 2 weeks. The cosmetic surgeon should provide more detailed instructions as to when you can shower again.
As far as work, it all boils down to the type of job you have. If your job demands a lot of physical activity from you, you’ll probably need to take a couple of weeks off work. If it’s a desk job or any other job that doesn’t require much physical activity, a week off work should be enough.
If you lead an active lifestyle and you’re wondering when you can return to exercise after having a reduction procedure, it’ll probably take around 6 weeks for you to return to sports and exercising.
It’s highly recommended that you enjoy as much rest as possible after the procedure, as it helps ensure the best possible results and improve the appearance of your upper torso area. However, this doesn’t mean that you should be totally stagnant. You can go for short walks around the house, as this will help reduce the risk of clotting.
After around 3 weeks after surgery, you can return to light, aerobic exercises such as cycling, but you still need to avoid heavy lifting, contact sports, or any physically demanding activity. After 6 weeks have passed, you can return to whatsoever sport or exercise you used to engage in prior to the operation.
Generally speaking, it takes around 6 months for someone who has had breast reduction surgery to see the final results of the operation, and around 9 months to heal completely with no visible scars.
How to Prepare for Male Breast Reduction Surgery?
Before going into surgery, there are a few things that you have to get in order. Firstly, if you have pets or children, you should ask close relatives or family members to look after them during the first week or two after surgery so that you can enjoy some quality recovery time.
After surgery, you won’t be able to drive yourself home, so be sure to have a friend or relative pick you up. You’ll have to wait around a week or so before you can get back to driving. We recommend getting specific instructions from the cosmetic specialist.
As far as diet, it’s highly recommended that you eat food that’s low in sugar and salt, and that’s high in protein. Fruits and vegetables are an excellent choice. You must also drink plenty of water.
When it comes to sleep, be sure to have extra pillows on your bed so that you’re able to sleep on your back; propped up and in an elevated position. Again, refer to your surgeon for personalized instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Gynaecomastia Be Reduced Without Surgery?
It all depends on what’s causing gynaecomastia. If obesity is the cause, then you can reduce the dimensions of your breasts by exercising, dieting, and losing weight. If it’s caused by certain medication, stopping the medication may help reduce it.
When Will I Be Able to See the Final Results?
You shouldn’t expect to see the final results of your breast reduction operation right away. Rather, you should assess it after 6 months from surgery.
Why Have a Male Chest Reduction?
The reasons for having a male chest reduction are entirely cosmetic. Many men are simply unhappy and self-conscious about the look of their chest area, especially the ones who lead a healthy lifestyle and exercise regularly but are still unable to reduce the size of their breasts.