The same way a girl is ridiculed when she has under size breasts, the men also become the butt of jokes when they have woman like breast which are abnormally big for boys. This over-development of breast is called gynecomastia. In medical terms, this condition is regarded as anatomical abnormalities which are caused by endocrine hormone abnormalities. Sometimes obese persons often suffer from this symptom.

Whatever may be the reason, the lives of men with gynecomastia are not very smooth sailing. Not only it looks odd inviting undue attentions, there are also chances of development of breast cancer in some men with gynecomastia. The only way of getting rid of this nuisance is surgery.

Because, male breast over development some times lead to cancer, the surgical correction of this problem used to be covered by insurance in the past. But under "managed care" and hmo-type health insurance schemes, the male breast reduction surgery has been labeled as "cosmetic surgery", the same way corrective surgery for female breast over development (mammaplasty) falls under the category of cosmetic surgery. And thus, for male breast reduction surgery, you can not expect to get an insurance coverage.

The type of male breast reduction surgery depends on the cause of enlargement----whether it created primarily by fat or glandular breast tissues. When the enlargement is due to fat deposit, it can be dealt with liposuction. But when it results from firm breast tissues, then it requires the surgical removal by making direct excision.

How the surgery is performed? An incision is made around the areas of areola and through that incision the excess glandular tissue, fat and skin from around the areola and from the sides and bottom of the breast are taken away. If significant amount of tissue and skin is required to be removed, larger incisions are made and that may lead to conspicuous scars.

A small number of tissues are left to prevent the nipple from becoming indented. Within two or three weeks of the operation, the patient is expected to resume arm movements as before and if liposuction is used to remove excess fat, the cannula is usually inserted through the existing incisions. Sometimes, a small drain is inserted through a separate incision to let the excess fluids flow off. After closing the incisions, they are dressed. However the dressing should remain there to hold the skin firmly in place.

How do you know if you are a candidate for breast reduction? If you think yourself a physically healthy and emotionally stable man, you can undergo Surgery to correct gynecomastia at any age. You are expected to get a great body contour if you happen to have firm, elastic skin.

However if you are over weight or under the habit of taking drugs like marijuana or too much alcohol, you will be discouraged by your doctor to undergo a surgery. In that case, you will be first asked to give up drug and alcohol abuse. There will be a close monitor on the changes that brings to the fullness of your breast, only then you will be considered a candidate for male breast reduction surgery.

What to expect

The results of breast reduction surgery are permanent. If carried on by an experienced surgeon, you are expected to experience excellent aesthetic result. In most of the cases, the patients are happy with the newly acquired body contour and the parting with their woman-like breasts definitely works for their enhanced self esteem and manly appearance.