The difference between male and female breast reduction surgery: gynecomastia

Great question!

The difference in the two techniques is that in the female breast, the goals of surgery include reduction in volume and skin, as well as restoration of breast contour and projection.

In the male breast, the goals of surgery are the reduction in volume and skin excess.  Although restoration of contour is important, it is equally important to avoid a projecting breast after surgery.

Male gynecomastia is performed via liposuction or surgery.  The goal is to remove skin and volume through a limited incision.

Male and Female Breast Reduction are as different as cats and dogs, even if they do share some similarities.

The breast of a man has no functional or aesthetic significance other than its presence as a reminder of our common humanity. Therefore when the male breast becomes unnaturally enlarged for any reason, it creates a "feminizing" appearance to the chest of the individual. This causes embarrassment and reluctance to reveal the chest under even the most normal circumstances at the gym or beach, for example. Surgery undertaken to reduce the unnaturally large male breast therefore involves removal of the majority of the excessive breast and fatty tissue in order to restore the natural appearance of the male breast, which is a "flat" chest. Rarely (in cases of massive weight loss), some skin and the areola diameter also require reduction.

The breast of a woman, on the other hand, has enormous social, sexual, functional, and aesthetic significance. Nevertheless, excessively large female breasts can be not only unattractive, but also can significantly impair the woman's ability to exercise, find appropriate clothing, etc. It stands to reason, therefore, that the goal of female breast reduction should be different.

The paramount goals of female breast reduction are preservation of function, preservation of sensation, improvement of aesthetics, and minimization of scars. Since the procedure is often done before women have passed through their child-bearing years, the functional purpose of the breast should be preserved. For the same reason, the appearance of the female breast should be improved as much as possible and must be maintained as "feminine" at all costs, with minimal scarring, in order to avoid a surgical outcome that is aesthetically inferior to the overly-large but un-scarred breast.

When it comes to breast reduction in men, generally more is better. For breast reduction in women, generally less is more.

1 of 1 found this helpful

Helpful?

Contact the doctor