Gynecomastia is a common condition that affects 1 in 3 men, characterized by enlarged or overdeveloped breasts. It is common at time of puberty for this to occur and then resolve. Unfortunately, it doesn’t resolve in everybody. This can give the chest a feminized appearance, making it difficult for men to feel comfortable and confident at the beach, in the gym or during intimate moments. If you’re struggling with gynecomastia, male breast reduction can restore a smoother, firmer and more masculine chest contour, helping you regain your confidence in any situation.
At Fox Valley Plastic Surgery, board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. David Janssen and Dr. William Doubek are experts in gynecomastia surgery. They’ve helped men throughout Wisconsin achieve the best results possible with personalized care, advanced techniques and a commitment to patient safety. Schedule a consultation today to learn more about male breast reduction and how it can help you achieve the look you’ve always wanted.
Both men and women have breast tissue, but the male breast has much less than its female counterpart. Men with gynecomastia have enlarged or overdeveloped breast tissue that gives the chest a rounded, feminine appearance. While prominent breasts can develop due to pectoral fat (pseudogynecomastia), true gynecomastia is the result of hormonal sensitivity. Many factors can trigger hormonal changes that cause the breasts to enlarge, including:
Gynecomastia can affect one breast (unilateral) or both (bilateral). In severe cases, excess tissue may also stretch the areola and cause the breasts to sag. During gynecomastia surgery, your surgeon can reduce sagging and improve the overall size and position of the areola.
The right surgical approach depends on the underlying cause of breast enlargement. A consultation with Dr. Janssen or Dr. Doubek will help determine the best technique.
When the primary cause of enlarged male breasts is fatty tissue, liposuction can be used to sculpt a smoother, firmer chest contour. Some men can achieve their desired results with liposuction alone, but in most cases, a combination of liposuction and tissue excision is used.
This technique is used when excess glandular tissue is the primary cause of enlarged breasts. It involves a carefully placed incision, through which Dr. Janssen or Dr. Doubek will remove the breast bud directly beneath the nipple-areola complex. Once the breast bud forms, it begins to recruit fat to the area, so excision is often combined with liposuction. During surgery, the size or position of the nipple and areola can also be improved to ensure natural-looking results.
Gynecomastia often involves both glandular and fatty tissue, so a combination approach is most common. In these cases, liposuction is used to eliminate excess fat, followed by tissue excision to remove the firm glandular tissue beneath the nipple. This combination approach creates smoother, more masculine contours across the entire area and helps the final result look proportional and balanced.
Even when you’re eating well and staying active, gynecomastia doesn’t respond to lifestyle changes. The glandular tissue responsible for breast enlargement in men won’t shrink with diet or exercise, which is why surgery is the most reliable solution for lasting results.
Gynecomastia surgery can address a range of concerns in the chest area, helping you achieve a flatter, more masculine contour. This procedure can:
The degree of correction will depend on your anatomy and your goals. At Fox Valley Plastic Surgery, Dr. Janssen or Dr. Doubek will recommend a personalized approach during your consultation, whether that’s liposuction, tissue excision or a combination of both.
Most men who are bothered by the appearance of enlarged breasts are strong candidates for this procedure. Gynecomastia surgery can restore your confidence and help you feel more at ease with your appearance. At Fox Valley Plastic Surgery, the best long-term outcomes come from patients who meet the following criteria:
Age matters somewhat. For younger patients who are still in puberty, most surgeons recommend waiting until breast development has fully stabilized before pursuing treatment. Often, breast growth during adolescence diminishes with time. If you’re a parent researching this for a teenage son, that’s a conversation worth having with one of our surgeons. If enlarged breast tissue has been present for more than one year, we may recommend male breast reduction.
Your gynecomastia surgery begins with a thorough consultation, where Dr. Janssen or Dr. Doubek will assess your anatomy and goals to determine which technique will deliver the best outcome. We’ll also review your medical history, current medications and overall health to create a personalized surgical plan. In-person consultations are available at our Appleton and Oshkosh locations, but you can also request a virtual appointment for your convenience. During your consultation, your surgeon will:
Preparation is an important part of your safety and results. Pre-op requirements for gynecomastia surgery may include obtaining medical clearance and discontinuing certain prescription or over-the-counter medications like aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs or herbal supplements that can increase bleeding. All patients must stop smoking one to two months before surgery and avoid it for one month afterward to support proper healing.
Male breast reduction surgery may be performed in an office-based procedure room, licensed ambulatory surgical center, or a hospital. You’ll need to arrange for someone to drive you to and from surgery and to stay with you for at least the first night following surgery.
General or local anesthesia is administered for your comfort. Your surgeon or anesthesiologist will recommend the best option depending on your preferences and the extent of your surgery. Male breast reduction can be performed using the liposuction technique, the excision technique, or a combination of both. Your needs will help us determine whether your procedure is best done in the office under local anesthesia or in the operating room.
In rare cases where gynecomastia is primarily the result of excess fatty tissue, liposuction alone may be used. This requires insertion of a thin, hollow tube called a cannula through several small incisions just a few millimeters in size. The cannula is moved back and forth in a controlled motion to loosen the excess fat, which is then removed from the body by vacuum suction.
Excision techniques are used when glandular tissue must be removed to correct gynecomastia. This is achieved by making a small, U-shaped incision along the bottom of the areola that allows your surgeon to access the underlying breast tissue. A precise amount is removed, leaving enough behind to avoid a divot and other contour irregularities.
After surgery, dressings will be applied, and an elastic bandage or support garment may be used to minimize swelling and support the new chest contour as it heals. In some patients, a small, thin tube may be temporarily placed under the skin to drain any excess blood or fluid that accumulates. You’ll be given detailed post-op instructions that include how to care for the surgical site and drains, medications to apply or take orally to aid healing and reduce the potential for infection, specific concerns to look for at the surgical site, and when to follow up with our office.
Most patients can return to a desk job just a few days after surgery, depending on factors like the technique used, individual pain tolerances and how quickly the body heals. When returning to work and other activities, it’s important to keep the surgical site protected and avoid excessive force, exercise or motion that could stress the healing incisions.
Contour improvements are visible immediately after surgery and usually permanent. Your final results will appear over the next few months as swelling subsides. For many patients, the changes they see as their results develop go beyond an improved physical appearance. Being able to wear fitted clothing comfortably and feel at ease in their own skin are just some of the benefits our patients say matter just as much as the outcome they see in the mirror.
Gynecomastia surgery produces permanent results in most cases, but maintaining them comes down to a few straightforward habits. Keeping your weight stable is the most important factor, as significant weight gain after surgery can reintroduce fatty tissue to the chest area. If a medication or substance contributed to your gynecomastia, avoiding it going forward will help protect your outcome. Beyond that, there’s no special maintenance required. Most patients find they simply get to enjoy the results without giving their chest a second thought.
Before & Afters
In general, gynecomastia with breast bud removal and liposuction costs approximately $9600. If only the buds need to be removed, or only liposuction is required, deduct $2000. The price includes the surgeon’s fee, the facility fee at the ThedaCare Surgery Center, and anesthesia. The pricing is subject to change, and will change if the surgery is done at another facility, and if there are unique circumstances surrounding the surgery, etc. Some patients may be able to have this procedure done in the office. If so, the cost would be approximately $7500.
If you’re considering multiple procedures, we offer discounts to help make your transformation more manageable: 15% off the surgeon’s fee for your second cosmetic procedure, and 30% off the surgeon’s fee for your third. The operating room fee is discounted 50% for additional procedures, while anesthesia is based solely on time. There are also zero-interest financing options available through Care Credit and Alphaeon Credit.
Fox Valley Plastic Surgery highly recommends the use of Strataderm® immediately after wound closure and for several weeks afterwards for optimal healing, and it is included in the above pricing. Strataderm is the first film-forming silicone gel-based wound dressing approved for the use on open wounds and compromised skin.
Fox Valley Plastic Surgery was founded in 1993 and has served the communities of Appleton, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac and Neenah ever since, delivering trusted care to patients for over 30 years. Our board-certified plastic surgeons, Dr. Janssen and Dr. Doubek, have extensive training in cosmetic and reconstructive procedures, with each bringing decades of combined experience to every procedure they perform.
Gynecomastia surgery is one of the procedures our surgeons perform regularly. It’s not an afterthought or an add-on but a meaningful part of what we do, and that experience matters when it comes to the nuanced decisions involved, like how much tissue to remove, where to place incisions, and how to achieve results that are noticeable yet natural and true to you.
With locations in both Appleton and Oshkosh, we make it convenient for patients across northeastern Wisconsin to access premier surgical care close to home. Whether you are dealing with long-standing gynecomastia or changes that developed later in life, you can expect honest guidance, refined techniques and a personalized approach tailored to your unique goals.
Gynecomastia and pseudogynecomastia are not the same condition, even if they look nearly identical. True gynecomastia involves actual breast tissue. It has a firmer texture and doesn’t respond to weight loss efforts. Pseudogynecomastia is an accumulation of fatty tissue in the chest and can sometimes improve with body composition changes, though liposuction may still be the most effective way to address it.
Many patients have a combination of both. During your consultation, Dr. Janssen or Dr. Doubek will perform an examination to determine what’s contributing to the appearance of enlarged breasts. The treatment plan is built around your specific anatomy, not a generic protocol.
Your surgeon will explain and review any risks or potential complications of gynecomastia surgery with you during your consultation. They will also have you sign consent forms to ensure that you fully understand these risks. The risks of male breast reduction may include:
You can reduce these risks by following your surgeon’s instructions, including all pre- and post-op guidelines on smoking, sun exposure and activity restrictions.
Gynecomastia isn’t necessarily a sign of low testosterone, but it can be a symptom of hormonal hypersensitivity. Breast growth can happen even when testosterone levels are normal. All men convert some of their testosterone into estrogen, but in a small proportion of men, this estrogen can cause growth of the breast bud. It is the estrogen that stimulates breast growth, not a lack of testosterone.
Aging, health conditions, medications and steroid use can all contribute to the hormonal imbalances that trigger gynecomastia. Men who use anabolic steroids are more likely to experience gynecomastia, as the steroids increase testosterone, which also increases estrogen as the body attempts to maintain balance by converting this excess testosterone into estrogen.
Yes, and some patients choose to do exactly that. Liposuction of other areas is a common addition, particularly for patients who want to address additional body contouring goals at the same time. Your surgeon will discuss what’s appropriate and safe to combine based on your goals and overall health.
If you’ve been living with gynecomastia and wondering whether surgery is the right move, a consultation is the best place to start. There’s no pressure and no commitment, just a $100 fee and a direct conversation with an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon. Request a consultation online or call our office directly at 920-233-1540 to get started and learn more.
