What male breast reduction is
Male breast reduction is the operation for gynecomastia. It removes the firm gland behind the nipple and the fat around it, to leave a flat male chest. In Lebanon, Dr. Vincent ElKhoury performs it at Hayek Hospital or Bellevue Medical Center, after a consultation at his clinic in Mansourieh, Metn.
What it removes
Two things are treated, and they are treated differently. The first is the firm disc of gland immediately behind the areola. The second is the softer fat around it. Training does not remove the gland, which is why a man who does everything right in the gym can still have a firm disc under the nipple.
Liposuction and gland excision, in plain words
- Gland excision. The disc of gland is cut out through a small incision at the lower border of the areola. Liposuction alone will not remove it and leaves the hard button patients notice most.
- Liposuction. The fat around the gland is suctioned, which blends the edges into the chest wall so the contour does not stop at a line.
Most chests need both. Doing only one of the two is the commonest reason a chest looks wrong afterwards: a flat chest with a lump still under the nipple, or a hollow where too much was taken from the centre. A thin layer is deliberately left behind the nipple so the centre does not collapse inward. Which of the two a given chest needs is decided at the examination. How that is told apart is set out in gynecomastia or chest fat.
Who it suits
It suits a man with a glandular disc that has not settled by itself and who has been through the causes first. Every medication and supplement is asked about, because some drugs cause gynecomastia, and where one is the cause, stopping it may reduce or resolve the problem without an operation. In young men with recent onset the condition sometimes resolves on its own, and then waiting is the right advice. The questions worth asking are in questions to ask before gynecomastia surgery in Lebanon.
The scar
The incision is at the lower border of the areola, where the change in skin colour hides it. It is short, and it fades into that border over several months.
Recovery, in one paragraph
The operation is usually done under a general anaesthetic, in ninety minutes to two hours, and most men go home the same day in a compression vest. Most are back at a desk job by the end of the first week. There is no chest, shoulder or arm work until six weeks, and the firmness under the areola settles by six months. The full timeline is in gynecomastia surgery recovery.
What it will not do
- It does not treat the cause. If a medication or an anabolic steroid is behind the enlargement, that is dealt with separately.
- It does not protect against recurrence if anabolic steroids are used again. Recurrence is rare after adequate excision and considerably more likely if they are.
- It does not make the two sides identical. The chest is rarely perfectly symmetrical to begin with.
- It is not free of risk. A residual firmness for several months, a depression in the centre, asymmetry and recurrence are written out on the gynecomastia page.
At this practice
Dr. Vincent ElKhoury, a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, examines every chest himself and operates on every gynecomastia case himself. What the operation changes, how it is done, and the printed patient information sheet are on the gynecomastia surgery in Lebanon page. This page is information, not advice, and it does not replace the examination in person.
Questions
FAQ
What is male breast reduction?
Male breast reduction is the operation for gynecomastia. It removes the firm gland behind the nipple and the fat around it, for a flat male chest.
What is the difference between liposuction and gland excision?
Liposuction removes the fat around the gland and blends the edges into the chest wall. It does not remove the firm disc behind the nipple, which is cut out through a small incision at the lower border of the areola. Most chests need both.
Where is the scar after male breast reduction?
At the lower border of the areola, where the change in skin colour hides it. It is short, and it fades into that border over several months.
Can gynecomastia come back after surgery?
Rarely, after adequate excision. It is considerably more likely if anabolic steroids are used again, which is why the question is asked directly before surgery.
Does everyone with gynecomastia need the operation?
No. Where a medication or an untreated condition is the cause, treating it may reduce or resolve the problem, and in young men with recent onset the condition sometimes resolves on its own. That is decided at the examination.
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