Gynaecomastia in Paris 16 — male chest surgery

Gynaecomastia is the abnormal development of a visible and palpable breast gland in a man. The improvement obtained by surgery is generally reported as considerable and rapid.

What is gynaecomastia?

It is the development of a genuine glandular nodule beneath the areola, palpable on examination. It must be distinguished from adipomastia, which is a simple excess of fat with no gland and calls for a different treatment; the distinction is made on clinical examination and imaging.

Why is an endocrine assessment compulsory?

An endocrine assessment is compulsory before any surgical treatment.

Gynaecomastia may in fact reveal a hormonal imbalance or an underlying condition, or be induced by certain medicines. Operating without having looked for the cause would amount to treating a symptom while leaving the cause to develop, and would expose the patient to recurrence.

Why consider surgery?

Because having a feminine chest when you are a man can cause genuine psychological distress.

Because you cannot conceal that chest under a T-shirt or in intimacy, despite diets and weight training: glandular tissue responds to neither.

How does the operation proceed?

The operation requires general anaesthesia and lasts between forty-five and seventy-five minutes.

Liposuction is most often combined with it to even out the remaining volume and avoid a depression beneath the areola.

Where is the scar?

A scar at the lower part of the areola is generally sufficient to remove the glandular nodule. Placed at the edge of the areola, it merges with the change in skin colour.

Where there is significant excess skin, particularly after weight loss, that excess skin has to be removed through a horizontal scar on the chest.

What is the recovery like?

The operation causes little pain. A compression garment must be worn for one month. Bruising and swelling are present for at least a fortnight.

What should you expect after surgery for gynaecomastia?

A compression vest is worn for several weeks: it is the main constraint, and it governs how well the skin retracts. Nurses at the practice and the clinic deliver local care, with appointments set before surgery. The surgeon sees you within seven days, then between day ten and day fourteen. The anaesthetist follows pain relief, and manual lymphatic drainage at home may be offered where indicated. See post-operative care.

When is the result final?

The result is final from two months. The scar continues to evolve for a year.

What are the risks?

Besides those linked to general anaesthesia, the main risks of bilateral gynaecomastia surgery are haematoma and a collection of lymph, which may require aspiration if significant.

The other risks essentially concern imperfections of result, which may call for a surgical revision — one that should not take place before at least six months.

The other complications are set out in detail in the SoFCPRE information leaflet.

Is gynaecomastia surgery reimbursed?

Gynaecomastia surgery comes under reconstructive surgery and may be eligible for reimbursement by French health insurance, subject to conditions and after prior authorisation. The endocrine assessment forms part of the application.

Last updated: August 2026 · Medical content reviewed by Dr Benjamin Pulvermacker, board-qualified plastic surgeon in Paris 16.

Who this operation suits — and who it does not

It suits men troubled by development of the breast gland, once endocrine investigations have ruled out a hormonal, drug-related or toxic cause. Those investigations determine whether the operation is indicated at all. It does not suit patients in whom a treatable cause has not been excluded, adolescents whose pubertal gynaecomastia may still resolve on its own, or cases where the excess is purely fatty in an overweight patient: weight loss then comes before any surgical discussion.

Limits and specific risks

Depending on the proportions of gland, fat and skin, the procedure ranges from liposuction alone to glandular excision with skin removal; the scars follow accordingly. Specific risks: haematoma, hollowing or irregularity of the contour, asymmetry, altered sensation of the areola, residual excess skin where the skin is slack. The excised tissue is always sent for analysis. Reimbursement is possible in true glandular forms, after prior agreement from the health insurance.