Male Breast Reduction
at Atlanta Plastic Surgery, P.C.

In most cases, gynecomastia can be diagnosed from a physical exam and a detailed medical history. However, if the breast lump is unusually large, one-sided, tender, or hard and fixed, a biopsy may be necessary in order to rule out other potential problems. Gynecomastia in babies and teens will normally go away on its own, so the condition may be observed for some time before a determination is made as to whether treatment is warranted. If a patient’s gynecomastia is caused by medicine or underlying disease, stopping the medicine or treating the disease will often cure the gynecomastia. If it is caused by a lack of testosterone and increase in estrogen, hormonal treatment may be prescribed. Only after the underlying cause has been determined and other treatments have proven ineffective is a surgical male breast reduction procedure considered.

wrong age for surgery to be performed. In some cases, particularly those of younger patients, the condition is temporary and eventually resolves itself. Moreover, some doctors believe that the condition could recur if surgery is performed at too young an age. In general, male breast reduction surgery is considered if gynecomastia has been present for two or more years, is stable, and has not increased in size. However, every patient is unique, and the decision to operate is based not only on the individual causes of the patient’s gynecomastia but also on the maturity of the patient, his capacity to understand the surgery, his ability to cope with the post-op pain, and his ability to follow the post-op care regimen. While there is no definitive upper age limit for surgery to correct gynecomastia, older patients should understand that, in some rare cases, the skin may not completely re-tighten after the surgery, as the natural aging process will cause a loss of some skin elasticity.