How Are Lasers Used to Reduce Unwanted Breast Tissue in Male Patients?

It all depends. If the unwanted tissue is firm (often seen with anabolic steroid use) then liposuction does not go a good job at removing it and a direct surgical removal is required. On the other hand if it has the consistency of fat it can be removed easily with liposuction.Most important is going to a board certified Plastic Surgeon for an exam and the best way to take care of your concerns.

Lasers will not be helpful in addressing gynecomastia.  Excess male breasts must be removed by liposuction or direct excision.  Good luck and be safe.John T.
Nguyen, MD, FACS, FICSDouble Board
Certified Plastic Surgeon

Lasers target excess fatty tissue in the area to melt it. The fat can then be removed via liposuction. Male breast reduction is only effective for patients with enlarged breasts due to excess fat, and it must be deemed suitable with a physical examination performed by an experienced board certified plastic surgeon.

Laser lipolysis, ie Smartlipo and all others, will not help your gynecomastia. Gynecomastia is the result of enlarged breast tissue, not just fat. Breast tissue is much more dense (thicker) than fat and will not be able to be completely removed by laser. Lasers might help cause a little skin shrinkage but you have to be careful you don't get burned. Ultrasonic assisted liposuction works great to break down the breast tissue and fat but you will still need the direct removal of residual breast tissue and fibrous tissue. This removal can be don ehtrough a small incision to the side of the chest or from the bottom of the areola. Don't be fooled by marketing.

Hi,Thanks for your post.  The treatment of excess glandular tissue cannot be performed with lasers. Certain laser modalities can be used to treat the excess fatty tissue that may also exist. However, glandular tissue can only be predictably treated with excision. Sincerely,Dr. Dadvand

When treating male breast development, there are three types of tissue that need to be addressed to achieve a successful outcome: 1-skin, 2-glandular tissue, 3-fatty tissue.  The fatty tissue can often be removed using some form of liposuction such as PAL (Power-assisted liposuction) or Vaser (pulsed ultrasonic liposuction).   If the fatty tissue makes up most of the extra tissue, then you may be able to achieve a good result with lipo alone. Most liposuction systems will not treat the glandular tissues-they are just too fibrous (tough) to remove through suction alone and require some form of excision be it open surgery through a small scar around the nipple or through some form of debriding tool similar to the ones often used in orthopedics.  Lastly, the skin has to be addressed and the good news is that in most males, the chest skin is thick and elastic enough that if you just deflate the breast mound under it, it will shrink back to size.  However, this is not always the case and some form of skin excision may be required.  Notice I have not mentioned lasers in the entire process because they really do not address removing the glandular tissues at all and they don't make the skin shrink that much despite all their marketing reports (HYPE!) to the contrary.  Best to consult with an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon who based on your  exam can determine which treatment or combination of treatments is right for you.

The term Male Breasts (gynecomastia, man boobs, moobs, moobies etc) covers a very common entity that ranges from a slight prominence of the breasts to hanging, deflated "old woman's breasts" - on men. The required correction to achieving a flat male chest would depend on the EXTENT of the breast deformity. In MOST cases liposuction with VASER (google the term and check out on youtube) coupled with surgical removal of some of the breast glad under the nipple complex works well in most men.

The VASER uses high pitched sound waves to dislodge the fat in the breast even when encased in fibrous tissue and make it easier to vacuum. It does so SELECTIVELY without permanently injuring nerves or blood vessels. The result is rapid healing with minimal swelling. In laser liposuction (such as SmartLipo etc), the fat is poked multiple times with an extremely hot laser fiber which cooks everything it touches - breast tissue, fat, nerves, blood vessels and skin. Not only is the operation longer but it creates a wider / deeper field of injury without ANY scientifically proven benefits.

Good Luck.

Peter A Aldea, MD

Gynecomastia or any other liposuction have zero patient benefit but perhaps some marketting benefit for the plastic surgeon.

Whom do you want to benefit?

Choose your surgery for the surgeon and not any hyped method.  Art of Plastic Surgery is surgeon dependent. Choose a good artist and leave choice of brush to your artist surgeon.

I think you are asking about "laser lipolysis (eg SMART LIPO, etc.). Yes this is one option your PS can use in male breast surgery. 

In my experience in treating gynecomastia, I have found the optimal results are achieved using Vaser-assisted liposuction, often, but not always, in combination with direct excision of localized breast tissue underneath the areola.  The excisional procedure is added in those patients who on physical examination are found to have such localized tissue.  Vaser is a trade name for a type of device that delivers ultrasonic energy to the tissues to be removed by liposuction thus greatly facilitating their removal.