Male breast reduction may be covered by insurance

Gynecomastia involves a procedure to remove excess fat, glandular tissue and/or skin from overdeveloped or enlarged male breast. Gynecomastia may result from hormonal changes, heredity, disease, or use of certain drugs, and can be present unilaterally (one breast) or bilaterally (both breasts).

There are a variety of different techniques used by plastic surgeons to treat Gynecomastia. It can be combined with other forms of body-contouring surgery, including liposuction, or performed at the same time with elective surgeries. The average cost for this surgery is about $5000, which includes the surgeon fee, facility and the anesthesiologist fee.

In some cases, the insurance will cover this procedure. Patient has to meet certain guidelines required by his insurance company. But often, the mastectomy for gynecomastia is considered cosmetic, because gynecomastia does not result in functional impairment.

Male breast reduction for gynecomastia is very effective surgery and has good outcomes. The procedure can vary from simple excision or removal of the excess breast tissue behind the nipple/areola complex to liposuction or a combination of the two procedures for some patients.

To determine which procedure suits your situation, it is best to consult with a board certified plastic surgeon. The cost is related the extent of procedure you need. A simple excision can even be done under local anesthetic and can cost about $3000. If you need more extensive treatment or a combination of excision and liposuction, then the cost can be higher nearing about $9000.

Make sure you rule out medical causes for the gynecomastia prior to proceeding with the surgery. Insurance coverage is random at best. It is dependent on your specific plan, but the likelihood of coverage is very low.

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There are many factors that go into this process, but key among them are the extent of the condition. During a physical examination, we will analyze:

1. The extent of skin involvement:
   • Good elastic skin
   • Bad skin laxity with stretch marks from rapid growth, massive weight loss, extensive sun exposure
2. Prominent rib cage also known as pectus excavatum
3. Amount of fat tissue
4. Amount of breast tissue
5. Extent of muscle development
6. Sagging of the nipples
7. Size of the areola
8. Asymmetry
9. Coexisting medical conditions

Depending on these several different approaches can be carried out and include:

1. Liposuction or PAL +/-
2. Ultrasonic Assisted Lipoplasty +/-
3. Pull through technique
4. Periareolar skin incision with glandular excision
5. Superior Periareolar crescent for slight nipple lift
6. More extensive skin AND skin resection techniques

Other factors include the type of anesthesia and the location of the operating facility.

Depending on these factors, fees can typically range any where from $3000-10,000.

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