Gynecomastia - Male Breast Reduction Using a Minimally Invasive Approach

The presence of male breast tissue (gynecomastia) is a common complaint for male patients across a variety of age ranges.  Patients often present as teenagers or adults with breast tissue that developed in their pre-teen years. In some cases, the breast tissue will resolve on its own, but in other cases it persists.  As patients age, the breast tissue is often accompanied by the accumulation of fat in the chest area which leads to worsening of the appearance. The presence of breast tissue in a male is defined as gynecomastia while the presence of just fat without breast tissue is defined as lipomastia.  Gynecomastia is classified into four grades depending on the size of the underlying breast tissue. In patients with Grade 1-2 gynecomastia (less than 500 gm per side) a minimally invasive approach can be used. This can be done under local anesthesia with the use of a tumescent solution which numbs up the area of treatment.  The treatment involves a single 4 mm incision on the lateral aspect of the chest. The numbing solution is injected into the chest area at the beginning of the operation. The treatment consists of use of the Micro-aire power-assisted liposuction (PAL) for initial pretunneling and suction of the area removing the fatty tissue initially, followed by excision of the underlying breast tissue using special instrumentation.  Additional liposuction is then performed to smooth out the result. Notice in the accompanying video that the patient is completely comfortable during the procedure and that the entire procedure is done through a single 4 mm incision.