Gynecomastia | Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

From a medical standpoint, an enlarged male breast is not concerning and it doesn’t necessarily have to be removed surgically (unless in cases of a suspected tumor). However, the psychological burden on the respective men is not to be underestimated. Especially for sporty or athletic men who care for their outer appearance, a soft, enlarged breast represents more than just a little flaw. An operation may help them regain their self-confidence.

The gynaecomastia correction at the Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery can be conducted under general anaesthesia. Generally, suctioning off the excess fatty tissue will be sufficient. In some cases, excess mammary gland tissue will be removed following an incision underneath the areola. The nipple will be preserved even after the surgical correction of the gynaecomastia.

You should plan sufficient time for recuperation after the surgery. At least one week of healing time is the least you can do for yourself. If you have a physically demanding job, don’t start with it any earlier than 2–3 weeks later. During the first days after a gynaecomastia correction, the breast will be swollen and very sensitive: cooling applications will help mitigate the swelling. Drainages inserted before suturing the wound for allowing the wound secretion to seep out will be removed after a few days at the Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Stitch removal will take place after about 14 days. You should not do any sports for at least six weeks so as not to disturb the wound healing following the gynaecomastia treatment. During this time, it is also necessary to wear a compression girdle. You should stay out of direct sunlight for half a year. Possibly, the skin – especially in the area around the nipple – will feel numb for a certain time. This somatosensory disorder is caused by injured skin nerves and will usually disappear by itself. At the Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, we will inform you comprehensively in a detailed personal consultation about any potential risks as well as how we will proceed with our treatment in your individual case. Please feel free to contact us about this.

Gynaecomastia is a benign enlarged male breast. There are different forms and causes for a gynaecomastia.

A gynaecomastia may be caused by genetic disposition or due to a flaw in hormonal regulation. In order to clarify the real reason, one should consult a medical specialist for endocrinology (hormones and glands). This specialist will arrive at a reliable diagnosis and is able to treat a hormonal gynaecomastia. Another reason for gynaecomastia may be the ingestion of certain medication such as steroids or anabolic drugs. In these cases, the enlarged male breast will remain even after the intake has been stopped. Another reason may be excess fatty tissue.

Men having a gynaecomastia usually do not have any health problems, or they may suffer from a feeling of tightness in the breasts, very sensitive nipples or restrictions in their movement. In a gynaecomastia, the mammary gland will grow either on only one side of the body or on both sides.

For two weeks before a gynaecomastia operation, no blood-thinning medication like aspirin and no nutritional supplements should be taken. We will inform our patients in a detailed consultation before the operation about what is important to do and to avoid.

The gynaecomastia operation is generally regarded as being very low-risk since complications occur only rarely. But as with any other operation, there are the usual surgery risks such as bleeding, infections, or inflammations. Should there be any glandular remnants after the breast operation, those can be removed completely in a subsequent treatment without any problem.

Directly after the gynaecomastia operation, there will usually be a certain feeling of tension which, however, will disappear by itself after a few days. If pain should occur, it can be countered effectively by means of current anti-pain medication.

In rare cases, it is possible that a gynaecomastia may reappear after an operation. That’s why one should ideally exclude a hormonal reason for the gynaecomastia before the operation. That type of gynaecomastia should be treated by medication. A gynaecomastia resulting from taking certain medication should also not be treated primarily by an operation.

After a gynaecomastia operation, it generally takes about 2 weeks for the patient to be presentable again. Sports, exercise, physical exertion, and heavy work should not be started any earlier than 6 weeks after the operation.

The scarring following a gynaecomastia operation depends on the selected treatment technique. In most cases it will suffice to suction off the excess fatty tissue at the male breast so that as a rule no scars will be visible after the treatment. In some cases, however, an incision below the areola may be necessary so that a small scar will remain visible. Here at Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, we pay particular attention to using incisions that are as discreet as possible.

If there is a clearly enlarged mammary gland, then a gynaecomastia operation is called for. An endocrinological (hormonal) gynaecomastia, however, calls for a treatment by medication.

If there is a verifiable psychological impairment of the patient due to a gynaecomastia, the health insurance will as a rule take over the costs of the operation or will at least subsidise it. We kindly ask you to clarify this with your health insurance before the operation.

The costs for a gynaecomastia operation at our Nürnberger Klinik for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery start at 4,500 €. We will be happy to prepare an individual cost calculation for you during a personal consultation.