Living with gynecomastia is not always easy. You may find yourself feeling self-conscious about your excess breast tissue and the shape of your chest. You may also find it difficult to find clothing that fits you well. Some people with gynecomastia choose to undergo surgery to have their excess breast tissue removed. But this surgery is not necessarily right for everyone. Here are some pros and cons to consider before getting gynecomastia surgery.
Pro: You can customize the way your chest looks.
With other gynecomastia treatments, such as hormone therapy, you have to wait for the treatment to work and hope you like the results. But with gynecomastia surgery, you have a lot more control. Your surgeon can take images of you before surgery and use software to modify those images, showing what your body will look like with different variations on the surgical approach. They can then tailor their approach to ensure you end up with the chest you desire post-surgery.
Con: It's usually considered cosmetic.
Most insurance plans consider gynecomastia surgery to be a cosmetic procedure, which means your insurance plan will not cover the procedure. You'll likely have to pay for the surgery out-of-pocket, which may mean you need to save and plan for a year or two before you're able to have the procedure.
Pro: This surgery is a one-and-done solution.
Yes, it can take some time to recover from surgery, but once you're recovered, you're done. You can go back to work after a week or two, and you can resume most physical activities a month or so after that. You won't have to go in for follow-up treatments or repeat procedures, in most cases. This makes surgery more approachable, in some ways than treatments like hormone therapy that may take months to work.
Con: You will have scars.
Surgeons do their best to make the scars small and less obvious. However, you will still have some scars. They'll be most prominent for a few months after surgery, and they should fade after that. Most people would rather have a few small scars than gynecomastia, but you might feel differently about this, and if so, surgery is probably not right for you.
Gynecomastia surgery can be an excellent solution for men with prominent breasts. Just make sure you think about the scars and costs involved before you agree to this procedure. Contact gynecomastia treatment services to learn more.