Image credit : Illustrative Image

Samir is a 20 year old fit and healthy young man who works in a top IT firm. His job involves sitting in front of the computer for many hours. In his free time, he works hard in the gym and loves to look good. He has a girlfriend for the last one year and was thinking of proposing to her. Life was good and he enjoyed it all.

Recently he became aware of his breast area becoming prominent and that becomes a problem especially when he went to the gym or swimming. Slowly, he became so conscious of this, that he stopped going to the gym. He started putting on weight, became depressed and stopped going out with his friends. His girlfriend was very worried about him and forced him to see a doctor. The doctor diagnosed him to have gynaecomastia. After some initial investigations, he was referred to see a cosmetic surgeon. What is Gynaecomastia? Dr. Anup Dhir, Senior Consultant, Cosmetic Surgeon, Apollo Hospital, who specialises in cosmetic & aesthetic surgery of the face and body talks about male breasts and how it can be treated.

“It is estimated that up to 50% of men can suffer from gynaecomastia ( enlargement of breast tissue in men) at some point in their life. It is caused by hormonal imbalance in the body, and is more common during puberty. Can be exaggerated by excessive weight gain. Usually is a benign condition but in rarely cases of male breast cancer have been reported. It is important to know that some degree of breast bud formation is normal in pubertal boys. Medical treatment can be tried but if not working, the definitive management is with gynaecomastia surgery.”

Why should gynaecomastia be treated?
“It can lead to severe psychological problems in young men, due to negative body image, leading to loss of self esteem.it can affect career and social relationships.in very rare cases, male breast cancer has been reported.surgical treatment has been done for decades.Now the advanced techniques allow a short surgery through a keyhole , effective and quick healing and virtually no visible scarring.The surgeon removes the excess fat and glandular tissue to leave a flat, firmer and more male like shape of the chest.”

How to choose a cosmetic surgeon?
“Male breast surgery is one of the simpler cosmetic surgeries.But to give good results, the surgeon should be adequately qualified and trained.Find out all about your surgeon and his qualifications and experience.Spend some time choosing your cosmetic surgeon who is able to give you the best results.”

What is the latest
“Cryolipolysis is a non surgical option,for smaller gynaecomastia and is helpful in treating fatty male breasts & the procedure can be repeated for better results.”