Gynecomastia

Gynecomastia is the medical term for male enlargement of the breast, a relatively common condition in which a man develops excess fatty tissue in the breast either around the time of puberty or later in life when his level of exercise and physical activity diminishes and muscle mass in the chest area transforms into fatty tissue.

While there is a relationship between increased breast size and increased body mass in men, gynecomastia is a condition that typically occurs independent of the patient’s overall weight. Increasing one's level of exercise and losing some weight will not correct the problem.

Most cases of gynecomastia can be addressed through a combination of direct excision or liposuction, limiting the scars to the area around the pigmented skin of the areola or hidden in the armpit or lower fold where the breast meets the chest wall. Patients who have developed significant amounts of loose skin are a greater reconstructive challenge, since it can be problematic hiding the scars necessary to remove excess skin resulting from weight loss in the breast.

Men are candidates for the procedure as long as their cardiovascular and general health remains good throughout their adult life.