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Berkshire Independent Hospital 01753 665434

Male breast reduction

Enlargement of the male breast is a distressing condition which occurs spontaneously in young men or as a consequence of obesity. In a young man it is important that you have been checked by your family doctor before you embark upon surgery to make sure that there is no underlying hormonal cause for enlargement of the breast. Spontaneous enlargement will also occur during teenage years and it is only if this enlargement does not resolve with maturity that surgery should be considered.

Where the pad of glandular tissue is firm and there is no significant obesity the pad of glandular tissue is excised through an incision around the nipple. A small volume of breast tissue is left behind the nipple to support the nipple and prevent it dipping in.

This procedure is performed under general anaesthesia as a day case or with an overnight stay. A drain is usually left in the wound which is removed the day after surgery and a pressure dressing is recommended on the chest for two weeks. Early mobility is encouraged.

Where there is significant obesity the prominence of the male breast can be corrected with liposuction. This effectively reduces the fatty tissue surrounding the breast to accommodate the breast volume.

Where there is looseness of skin a re-positioning of the nipple can be undertaken at the same time as removing the prominence of tissue leaving mastopexy type scars around the nipple and maybe below it.