An increasingly popular male plastic surgery procedure

More than 26,000 males had gynecomastia surgery, also known as male breast reduction surgery, in 2024, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Although it has quickly become a popular plastic surgery operation, you may wonder what exactly it entails.

What is gynecomastia surgery?

Gynecomastia is a condition where the breast tissue becomes enlarged and overdeveloped. It most commonly affects male teenage children as they go through puberty, but it can also occur in adult males as well.  

“Typically, gynecomastia is caused by an imbalance of estrogen and testosterone,” says Dr. Jamie Spitz, a plastic surgeon at Advocate Health Care. “It can also be due to medication side effects. For example, there are certain medications used for cancer treatment, heart disease or psychological diseases that can cause gynecomastia. Additionally, obesity and marijuana use are risk factors.” 

Since most cases of gynecomastia happen during puberty, the condition will often get better on its own as the person ages. Though, the condition sometimes requires a surgical operation to correct the enlargement. 

Depending on the severity of the breast enlargement, you may only need liposuction to remove the breast tissue. In other cases, your surgeon might use an excision technique or a combination of excision and liposuction to remove excess fat and tissue. 

The surgery is often performed as an outpatient procedure. Depending on the amount of excision that needs to be done, you can expect a four to six week total recovery time. Most people can return to work after about two weeks.  

What are the benefits of gynecomastia surgery?

Benefits of gynecomastia surgery include:

• Less gynecomastia symptoms, such as chest enlargement, pain and sensitivity
• Improved chest contour and overall shape of chest 
• Boosted self-confidence 

“There are inherent risks with any surgery,” says Dr. Spitz. “The major risks following gynecomastia surgery are rare postoperative bleeding, minor asymmetries and unavoidable scars. The benefit that patients achieve by undergoing male breast reduction often far outweighs the risk.” 

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