Male Breast Reduction (Gynaecomastia Surgery)

Often dubbed “moobs” or “man boobs”, gynaecomastia is enlargement of the male breast and usually presents as an isolated problem without any sinister connotations. For those who feel self-conscious about their appearance, male breast reduction surgery (gynaecomastia) can effectively treat this condition.

Male Breast Reduction – The Results

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) said its members carried out a total of 323 gynaecomastia surgery operations in 2008, up more than 1000 per cent on 2003. Gynaecomastia surgery restores confidence and relieves a major cause for distress and embarrassment. Following treatment the breast tissue does not grow back but the swelling takes six to nine months to settle completely.

Gynaecomastia Treatments

Some tenderness and growth of the breast disc, beneath the nipple, is normal at puberty. But if the growth is particularly large and persists, it can be extremely embarrassing, particularly when associated with growth of the whole breast. In this case, gynaecomastia surgery can be carried out. There are a few patients who have abnormal hormones, which would need to be investigated by an Endocrinologist before gynaecomastia surgery is advocated.

There is another group of patients who develop a problem in older age and this is often associated with obesity.
Finally, there is the group of older patients who are being treated with female hormones to reduce the growth of prostatic cancer.
The gynaecomastia of puberty usually settles spontaneously, but in cases where the condition does not resolve itself, there are two effective surgical treatments available:

• Liposuction
• Webster's Operation

Liposuction for Gynaecomastia

Liposuction is very effective for male breast reductions. The tissue removed in this type of gynaecomastia surgery, is breast tissue mixed with fat and is therefore often somewhat harder to remove than in other areas. Certain techniques are therefore useful and in particular BodyJet liposuction, which helps to dislodge the tissue with a pulse of local anaesthetic and adrenaline, just as a pressure washer dislodges dirt. 
 
Other techniques, which may also help for male breast reductions, are SmartLipo MPX and Ultrasound. Liposuction removes the fat in an even way, there are however occasions when the very fibrous glandular breast disc cannot be removed and needs to be excised surgically. This type of male breast reduction surgery is known as a Subcutaneous Mastectomy or Webster's Operation.

Webster's Operation for Male Breast Reduction

An extremely successful gynaecomastia procedure, Webster's Operation is a subcutaneous mastectomy carried out through an incision of the junction of the lower half of the areola and normal skin. This is an incision, which is well hidden however, there are patients who do not want to have this scar. These patients would decide before their liposuction that they did not wish to have this extra procedure carried out and would prefer to have some breast tissue left behind. The main risk of this procedure, other than the visible scar, is the risk of haematoma or bleeding into the cavity left behind. A drain is nearly always left in to allow blood to drain out over the first day or so.
 
Younger men may not have any fat and in these situations only the Webster's Operation will remove the breast tissue - liposuction is not an option. At the Cadogan Clinic, our consultants prefer to use liposuction in combination with Webster's Operation when carrying out male breast reduction surgery as they can achieve a much smoother result.

A certain amount of skill has to be carried out to achieve a smooth result. Older patients with loose skin will find that even though breast tissue has been removed, there is skin laxity with the nipple lower on the chest wall. At a later stage the nipple can be raised up but this will leave scars beyond the areolar.
It is for this reason that patients undergoing gynaecomastia surgery will be offered liposuction or a subcutaneous mastectomy (Webster's Operation) or a combination of both. At a second stage, they may occasionally require a mastoplexy to lift the nipple to a more youthful height and remove surplus skin.

Male Breast Reduction Consultants at the Cadogan Clinic

For more information about gynaecomastia (male breast reduction) surgery in London, or to book a consultation with either Ms. Angelica Kavouni or Mr. Lucian Ion, please call 020 7901 8500 or fill in the form on this website and we will respond to you by email or phone.

Other consultants able to carry out male breast reduction surgery at the Cadogan Clinic include:

• Mr. Simon Eccles
• Mr. David Gault
• Mr. Paul Harris
• Mr. Niall Kirkpatrick
• Mr. Bryan Mayou
• Mr. Nicholas Parkhouse

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