Gynecomastia Surgery (Male Breast Reduction)

Before you undergo any plastic surgery procedure at Karidis Clinic, you will have a consultation and a pre-operative assessment with your plastic surgeon. They will listen carefully to your concerns and what you expect to achieve and discuss which procedure, or combination of procedures, is appropriate.

At this stage, they will also ensure you are fully aware of the potential risks and complications inherent in that specific procedure and explain to you what you can expect immediately after surgery, throughout the recovery process, and when you will likely see the final results.

During the pre-operative assessment, the surgeon may take measurements of the area to be operated on and assess your skin tissue quality and the degree of skin laxity. The position of the incisions will also be decided upon.

A full medical history will be taken to ensure you are fit and well and can undergo surgery at this time.

After the initial consultation, there will be a two-week ‘cooling-off’ period before you can decide to proceed with surgery. You are welcome to return for further consultations with your Karidis Clinic surgeon, free of charge, if you have more questions.

If you make the decision to proceed with surgery, you’ll be given advice on how best to prepare for your operation, and you will have a dedicated Patient Coordinator who can answer any queries you may have.

Any pre-surgery tests can occur at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth, a leading London private hospital where Karidis Clinic is based. The hospital has recently built a new wing including a diagnostic department with the latest X-ray, MRI, CT and ultrasound technology.

We advise patients to stop smoking as soon as possible as nicotine acts as a vasoconstrictor, which impedes the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the surgical site. This can slow down healing, increase the chance of infection and even cause tissue to die. Smoking also increases the risks of a general anaesthetic, and smokers are more likely to suffer ill effects from an anaesthetic.

You will also be advised when to discontinue taking aspirin or other blood-thinning medication in advance of your operation. You will be asked to fast six hours before surgery.

All Karidis Clinic procedures are performed at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth. When you arrive, you’ll be greeted and taken to your stylish and luxurious private room with its spacious ensuite bathroom.

The nursing team will take your blood pressure and relevant vitals, and you will see your Karidis Clinic surgeon, who will make the final mark-ups. Our anaesthetist will also visit you.

Clinical photography will be taken to assist in your care and to enable clinical assessments to be made. These become part of your confidential medical record. These include photographs of the operation site and any distinguishing features and will be taken pre-op and post-op. 

Your procedure will be performed under a general anaesthetic, and once the surgeon has sutured the incision site, you will be taken to a specialist recovery room.

Once the hospital nursing team has ensured your recovery is complete, you will be taken to your hospital room for your overnight stay. The hospital nursing team will be on hand throughout the night, and you will be fitted with compression stockings and a compression device if required.

The following day, you will be visited by your Karidis Clinic surgeon or nurse and then discharged into the care of a friend or family member by the hospital nursing staff.

The pain and discomfort experienced after surgery are unique to the individual patient and the extent of their procedure. However, it should start to subside in the first week and should be easily managed with over-the-counter painkillers.

If necessary, you’ll be advised to wear a specially designed surgical support garment for approximately six weeks after surgery to support you during the healing process.

Depending on the nature of your job, you can usually expect to be able to return to work and normal activities between one to two weeks.

You’ll be given a comprehensive plan for the recovery process, including dates for your cast or suture removal and your check-ups with your Karidis Clinic surgeon. However, we are always on hand throughout this period, and you have access to our dedicated surgical nurse 24/7 if you have any concerns.

Do you diet and exercise but still find that you have male breasts? You might have gynaecomastia. The term gynaecomastia – pronounced guy-nee-co-mastia – comes from the Greek meaning for ‘woman’s breast’ and refers to the development of excess glandular or fatty breast tissue in men.

Men and women’s breasts are made from two components – glandular tissue and fatty tissue. The ratio of glandular to fatty tissue varies from individual to individual. While the term gynaecomastia strictly refers to the enlargement of the glandular part of the breast, most patients have an excess of both fatty and glandular tissue. The severity of the condition will vary for each individual, ranging from very mild symptoms to significant enlargement of the male breast, accompanied by sagging of the skin.

The condition can affect one or both of your breasts, sometimes unevenly. Diet and exercise alone cannot resolve the condition, as the breast glands and fat tissues must be surgically reduced.

Although there’s no definitive cause of gynaecomastia, the condition is thought to be the result of hormones circulating in specific cells in your breast area. This means that symptoms of the condition are generally apparent after puberty, although the condition may be visible at birth.

An imbalance of the ratio of male and female hormones in the body is also thought to contribute to the development of gynaecomastia. While in the majority of cases, the cause of gynaecomastia is developmental, in some instances the condition is linked to the use of substances such as anabolic steroids or marijuana.

It’s common for gynaecomastia to be genetic or hereditary, or as a result of organ disease.

You’ll start to see results around four to six weeks after your breast reduction surgery and the results will continue to show as the weeks go by. This is because post-surgery swelling can last for four months or more, so the swelling will be gradually going down.

You’ll have scars after gynecomastia surgery, but your surgeon will use their expertise to ensure that they’re minimal. Usually, the incisions are made around your nipples. The size of the incision and scar will depend on the amount of chest tissue you are having removed and if liposuction is needed.

The main symptoms of gynaecomastia are:

• Swollen or prominent breast gland tissue
• Tenderness in your breast area

You may also experience symptoms including:

• Swelling
• Tenderness
• Pain
• Nipple discharge in one or both of your breasts

Your suitability for gynaecomastia surgery will be determined during your consultation with your surgeon.

The quality of your skin is a primary factor in determining if you are suitable for gynaecomastia surgery. In order to achieve the best result from the procedure, you should have good skin elasticity. You should be within 10% of your ideal body weight. In most cases, your skin is able to shrink and accommodate the new body contour after liposuction and gland removal.

Sometimes patients with decreased skin elasticity may find they have loose, hanging skin in the affected area. In these cases, liposuction alone will not produce the desired result and may require some form of skin reduction, often in combination with liposuction.

Gynaecomastia recovery time varies with every patient and the type of activity you want to get back to. While the incisions made during surgery are very small, liposuction creates a large wound hidden under your skin.

Healing is a gradual process, so getting enough rest in the days after your surgery is essential. Sleep with your upper body slightly elevated to help quicken any reduction in swelling and bruising.

We’ll run through what you should expect and work on a recovery program for you that suits your lifestyle. But typically, you can expect to be back at work within 5-7 days after surgery, resuming light exercise after 2 weeks. You should avoid any strenuous upper body exercise for at least 3 weeks after surgery. It’s very common to have some bruising, swelling and minor initial lumpiness in the area post-surgery.

It’s also fairly common to appear slightly uneven. This is often completely normal and will settle over the coming weeks.

We have a dedicated post-operative phone line which takes you straight to our nurse should you have any worries or concerns and we would ask you to report immediately if you experience any of the following:

• Heavy bleeding
• Pain
• Excessive swelling
• Pockets of fluid
• A persistent high temperature (above 37.5 degrees for 12 hours or more)

You may feel numb or tingly in some areas due to some nerve irritation. This is usually resolved within the first 6 months of surgery. Around 7 – 14 days after surgery you’ll need to return to the clinic to review your result and check you’re healing well. You’ll usually see your surgeon around 6 weeks after surgery for a routine check-up.

All plastic surgery carries some uncertainty and risk. When performed by one of our highly qualified and experienced plastic surgeons, complications are infrequent and usually minor. Individuals do however vary greatly in their anatomy, their physical reactions, and their healing abilities, and the outcome is never completely predictable.

Complications are rare but can include:

• Scarring at the site of the surgical incisions
• Irregularities of contour or dimpling of the area treated
• Unevenness or asymmetry between sides
• Prolonged numbness and swelling
• Haematoma or seroma formation (a collection of blood or fluid under the skin)
• Infection

You can talk about any potential risks and complications in detail during the consultation with your surgeon. You can have peace of mind that our expert team includes the UK’s leading gynaecomastia surgeons who perform, on average, 100 successful procedures per year.