Men Growing Breasts: What Can A Guy Do?
Dr. Scott Aaronson helped Palm Springs resident Bruce Barrett when his right breast began to grow unexpectedly. Barrett thought he had cancer.
He said, “I had a breast, a miniature breast. I said to myself, ‘This isn’t normal to have.'”
Gynecomastia is the scientific term for enlarged breasts in men. The condition can be embarrassing, or something men try to hide.
Barrett did not have cancer. He had Gynecomastia, which is treatable. He underwent breast reduction surgery to remove the excess growth. He said it’s changed his life in a good way.
“It was painless,” Barrett said. “Done in one day. I was home that night.”
Men of all ages can develop breasts consisting of excess tissue, skin or fat, according to Aaronson. Hormonal changes are a common cause, as are heredity, disease or the use of some prescription drugs. Antibiotics, steroids and marijuana can all cause breast growth.
Aaronson said “before and after” pictures demonstrate the differences clearly. Displaying the photos he said, “Here you can see how we removed some of that glandular breast tissue. And you can see the fullness here beforehand, and then a more natural contour.”
Aaronson said he uses common plastic surgery techniques. He added that removing male breasts can also be more difficult because he works through a small opening, performing both liposuction and tissue removal.
He said, “My feeling is only a certain percent are going to get a satisfactory result only from liposuction. They require removing that breast tissue you can’t remove with liposuction.”
Aaronson said the surgery is often requested by men, even young teenagers with Gynecomastia, after years of embarrassment and sometimes ridicule. Sometimes it goes away on it’s own. Often it does not.
Aaronson said, “They don’t want to go to the beach. They don’t want to take off their shirt. They don’t want to expose the area so they’re always covering it up.”
Barrett says he’s amazed at the difference the procedure has made in his life.
He said, “There’s nothing that’s grown back. There’s no discomfort. It’s just normal.”
Aaronson said, “The bottom line is that the patient is happy. And that’s why we as plastic surgeons do what we do. We want the patients to feel better about themselves.”
Gynecomastia is a cosmetic procedure. Aaronson said medical insurance companies most likely won’t pay for it, but it’s not something men have to accept and live with. They can change themselves and feel better.
