Gynaecomastia in men: What causes prominent male breasts?

Prominent male breasts may be a major burden for those affected. Technically referred to as gynaecomastia, enlarged male breasts are understood as an excess collection of glandular and fatty tissue in the chest area, making it appear visually like a female breast. For many men, targeted gynaecomastia surgery is the only way to have a “normal” and naturally male chest.

Nearly 50% of male adolescents experience some puberty-related gynaecomastia. The good news is that in most cases, it resolves by itself. However, a large number of adult men also have to contend with this problem, which may have diverse causes.

In addition to a genetic predisposition, severe obesity and chronic liver or kidney disease may cause prominence of the male breast. In addition, medications containing oestrogen, excessive alcohol or marijuana consumption and the use of anabolic steroids may promote the development of prominent male breasts.

Gynaecomastia surgery aims to remove the excess fatty and glandular tissue in the so-called man-breast. Depending on the extent of the surgery, it may be performed under local or general anaesthesia. There are a number of different surgical techniques available for the specialist practitioner – the most frequently used methods include:

• An L-incision
• A T-incision
• An i-incision (also known as the Lejour technique)

The treating doctor will determine the best-suited technique for each individual case. They will inform the patient in an initial informative meeting about the process of the surgery as well as the potential risks associated with it.

In the immediate aftermath of the gynaecomastia surgery, there is a risk of the following complications, but they will typically resolve quickly:

• Swelling
• Bruising
• Infections
• A feeling of numbness in the chest area

Long-term or serious complications after gynaecomastia surgery include the following:

• Secondary bleeding
• Problems with wound healing
• Thrombosis
• Distortion of the nipple
• Transformation of the shape of the tissue

Patients should always consult an experienced surgeon with extensive expertise – but even this cannot completely eliminate the chance of possible complications. It must always be kept in mind that this is a surgical procedure.

Follow-up cost insurance for gynaecomastia surgery offers patients a significant measure of financial security should they experience complications after surgery that make follow-up treatment necessary. If the patient’s health insurance has not covered the cost of the gynaecomastia surgery, in all likelihood it will also not cover the cost of follow-up treatment. As a result, patients must pay for this treatment entirely on their own unless they have made arrangements in advance for follow-up cost insurance.

The safe4beauty follow-up insurance offers favourable conditions for patients: the insurance protection covers the specific risks of surgical and minimally invasive treatment and is designed to permit a flexible duration of coverage. In this way, it securely and reliably covers treatment costs up to 300,000 euros. Patients can easily purchase the follow-up insurance online with only a few clicks – and they can do so up to 24 hours prior to the planned procedure.

When does health insurance cover the cost of gynaecomastia surgery?

In general, insurance companies only cover the cost of medically necessary operations. For gynaecomastia surgery this is possible in individual cases provided there is major psychological or physical impairment caused by the overdeveloped male breast tissue.
If the surgery is a purely cosmetic decision, the patient not only has to pay for the cost of the operation itself but is also left financially responsible for all follow-up treatments in the event of potential complications. Thus, it makes sense for gynaecomastia to purchase insurance for follow-up costs prior to undergoing surgery.

How much does insurance for gynaecomastia surgery cost?

Follow-up insurance for male breast reduction surgery is a wise decision, from a long-term perspective, in order to avoid what could be a major financial burden from potentially necessary follow-up treatments.
If you purchase insurance protection for a one-year term, you will pay a one-time charge of 159 euros. For a 3-year term, gynaecomastia surgery insurance costs 265 euros.

For which conditions is gynaecomastia follow-up insurance available?

Follow-up insurance from safe4beauty offers patients many benefits for their medical-cosmetic procedure – whether it is minimally invasive or surgical:

• Uncomplicated purchase
• Flexibly selectable duration of coverage
• Can be purchased up to 24 hours before the treatment
• Rapid pay-out
• Coverage amount up to 300,000 euros
• Free choice of doctor for the follow-up treatment(s)

If you would like to learn more about the safe4beauty follow-up insurance, we would be glad to advise you personally!