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Frequently Asked Questions

The cost of gynecomastia surgery will depend on the grade of the male breasts. The total cost can vary from INR 75,000 to INR 150,000 at Lakeshore hospital cosmetic surgery centre in Cochin, India (USD 1100 - USD 2500). Man boobs reduction (liposuction +gland excision)as a day care procedure is an afforadable surgery in India. Minimal Access Gynecomastia Surgery (MAGS) is the most acceptable trearment in India for gynecomastia removal. Normal activities can be resumed from next day of surgery.

There is no effective non-surgical/ medical treatment for pubertal gynecomastia. If gynecomastia has occurred due to a disease or hormonal imbalance, the underlying cause should be treated first. It is unlikely that already formed male breast tissue will decrease with any medicines. There are studies which show reduction in gynecomastia in the initial stages of puberty by medical therapy. However, the quality of evidence is poor in these studies. Medicines should be taken only on advice of Endocrinologist. Fat burners and miracle medicines marketed through internet are not helpful. Plastic surgery is the best option for gynecomastia treatment.

The Lakeshore hospital cosmetic surgery department headed by Dr. Hari Menon is one of the top centres in India for gynecomastia treatment. This centre treats patients from all over India as well as from neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait and even from US and UK. The surgical facility and nursing care is world class. Dr. Hari Menon is one of the few plastic/cosmetic surgeons in India who can treat majority of male breasts using keyhole technique.

Male breasts/ moobs usually have two components- glandular (breast) tissue and fat. The fat component can be reduced by fat reduction through diet and gym. The glandular component will not reduce by any amount exercises. It can be removed only by surgery. Even the fat component does not respond to exercises that well. Many patients with gynecomastia have reported that the lower chest shape does not improve even after significant weight reduction.

Most common form of male breasts/ gynecomastia develop during the pubertal age- 12-15 years of age. The hormonal imbalance at that time is temporary. Normal male hormone levels are soon established. Most men with gynecomastia have completely normal male hormonal levels. 

Most people undergo Gynecomastia surgery to look and feel normal, shed social inhibitions and regain confidence.Gynecomastia does not affect the body functions. If you are not bothered about the appearance, there is no need for treatment. The surgery for Gynecomastia is meant to improve the appearance and create a normal manly chest. This is purely a cosmetic surgery. 

Since most male breasts have a significant fat component, when there is weight gain the male breasts also can increase in size. The glandular component does not usually change in size.

The breast tissue in gynecomastia does not recur or form again. The fat cells in the chest can enlarge if you put on a lot of weight after surgery (Most of the excess fat in chest is removed by liposuction. Liposuction removes majority of fat cells in lower chest and so the chance of depositing fat in lower chest will be greatly reduced after minimal access gynecomastia surgery). Otherwise the result after gynecomastia surgery is permanent. It is advisable not to gain weight after the surgery to maintain the good result.

Large nipple areola is a usual problem with moderate to large sized man boobs. In most cases with large areola,there is no need to cut and reduce the areola size. After Gynecomastia surgery, due to the reduction in size of the breasts, the areola will automatically shrink in size. Areola reduction by surgery will leave big scar all around the areola. 

“Puffy nipples in men” is a term that usually denoted Grade 1 Gynecomastia, where there is only a small amount of breast tissue directly under the nipple- areola. Puffy nipple is also male breast, and the treatment is by surgery. Even this tough glandular breast tissue can be removed by keyhole male breast surgery. 

Liposuction alone will not remove tough gland tissue. But the breast tissue can be removed completely through small incision. In anterior pull through technique, the gland tissue is completely removed under direct vision using a small incision under the areola. The traditional half circle incision is not needed. The advantage here is that the scar is very small. This is quite important for Indian skin which is prone for thick scars.

You can return to normal office work the next day of gynecomastia surgery. If your work requires lot of travel or physical work, it is better to take a few days of rest. Driving can be started from next day. Early recovery is a big advantage of minimal access technique of gynecomastia removal. This is a major reason why this method has become so popular in India.

Cardio exercises-  treadmill, brisk walking, cycling, elliptical cross trainers- can be started after 2 weeks. Weight training and sports can be started 4 weeks after gynecomastia surgery.

The surgery is usually performed under general anaesthesia. Standard risks exist, although they are very rare. Infection, haematoma, asymmetry, under correction, decrease in nipple sensation and poor location of scars are reported. The complication rate in top centres is very low.

The corset (elastic vest/ compression garment) provides compression immediately after Gynecomastia surgery and thus limits the post-operative swelling. It also helps to support the skin during healing and helps to reduce loose skin after surgery.

Junk foods as such do not cause male breasts/ Gynecomastia. The glandular component occurs due to a temporary hormonal imbalance during puberty. Excess weight gain can cause the male breasts to become bigger as the fat component increases. There is increased conversion of male hormone to female hormone in fatty tissues in obesity especially childhood obesity. This can result in gynecomastia or pseudo-gynecomastia formation. So excessive junk foods and lack of physical activity can result in obesity and gynecomastia formation. 

If there is significant sagging of skin, the male breasts can be corrected by open surgery which will remove the excess fat, breast tissue and skin. The location of the scar could be around the areola or on both sides of the areola depending on the severity of sagging.

The glandular tissue may not have been completely removed in the first surgery or the liposuction may have been inadequate. Excessive weight gain can also cause fat deposition in chest even after gynecomastia surgery. This can certainly be corrected by keyhole surgery to remove any residual gland tissue and excess fat. 

Chest Liposuction removes only fat tissue. Male breasts also have tough glandular tissue which does not come out by traditional Liposuction. Keyhole male breast/ Gynecomastia surgery utilizes a modified method of Liposuction where special cannulae are used to disrupt the glandular tissue. Lateral pull though technique or anterior light pull through to remove the glandular tissue can also be performed through the keyhole. Keyhole surgery is effective in chest fat reduction and complete gland removal without big scars.

Choose to have surgery done in good hospitals or clinics. NABH or JCI accredited places will have good quality control. Dr. Hari Menon performs gynecomastia surgery in top hospital in Kerala with excellent quality and infection control protocols. Infection following gynecomastia surgery is  rare because it is a clean minimally invasive surgery.

The number of surgeries can vary from centre to centre. Gynecomastia is a common problem in India. The number of men who seek treatment is increasing. This is probably due to increase in awareness, heightened sense of body image as well availability of more acceptable surgery like keyhole procedure without hospital stay. 10-15 cases are done in a month at Lakeshore hospital, Cochin.

Most cases of Gynecomastia have a combination of fat and gland tissue. The fat component is usually more than the gland tissue. Doing liposuction in these cases is important to get the normal chest shape and for chest sculpting. If the fat is not removed, the lower chest shape will not improve. The fat cells can enlarge if you put on weight. If the gynecomastia is only because of gland tissue, liposuction is not required.

Male chest liposuction is most often a small volume liposuction. The complication rate of small volume liposuction when done by experts is very low. The benefit of doing male chest liposuction in moderate and large gynecomastia far outweighs the risks involved. The result acheived is definitely better if liposuction is also done in cases where there is excess fat in the lower chest. The fat deposition in lower chest in men is often resistant to fat burning methods.