Gynecomastia (Male Breast Reduction)

Dr. Kaczynski has been performing male breast reduction for gynecomastia, or “male breasts,” in Sacramento at Advanced Concepts in Plastic Surgery for over 25 years.

Gynecomastia (Latin word meaning, “female-like breasts”), is an abnormal enlargement of one or both breasts in men or pubescent boys. Milk production may or may not be present.

Gynecomastia is a fairly common physiologic phenomenon that sometimes requires male breast reduction surgery. It occurs during puberty, when at least half of all males experience slight enlargement of one or both mammary glands due to increased levels of the hormone, estrogen. Pubertal hypertrophy is characterized by a tender discoid enlargement of the breast tissue beneath the areola and usually subsides spontaneously within a year.  This enlargement tends to be unnoticeable to anyone but the boy experiencing it.

Gynecomastia is also fairly common among older men going through, “andropause,” which increases levels of estrogen production, particularly when there is associated weight gain.  In older men, the breast tissue tends to become more diffused, which results in a larger and softer area of breast tissue.  This condition is often referred to as, “man boobs,” and can be treated with male breast reduction techniques.

In some men and boys, gynecomastia can become very obvious and the breast tissue can enlarge to a degree that can be noticed even through clothing and the appearance may look very much like female breasts.  In teenage boys who are already dealing with identity issues and emotions they are not used to, this can be quite a traumatic experience.  Especially if the gynecomastia is so obvious that other kids notice and tease the boy about it.  In these cases we can perform male breast reduction by removing this tissue either surgically (rarely), or more frequently using Vaser Hi Def liposuction. With Vaser Hi Def Liposuction, we create two or three small incisions and then remove the tissue using special gynecomastia tubes that are designed specifically for male breast reduction surgery.

In situations where Vaser Hi Def Liposuction is unable to remove all of the breast tissue, we can go in surgically to remove whatever liposuction was unable to remove.  In either case, these procedures are done in an outpatient capacity, usually in just over an hour.  The patient can be back to work or school after male breast reduction surgery in just a few days and light exercise can begin after 2 weeks with full exercise resuming after about a month.