Male breast surgery before and after photos

Before and after photographs are one way to understand what gynaecomastia surgery achieves. They are also easy to misread, particularly in this area, because two patients with visually similar chests can require entirely different operations.

Me Clinic's photographs are shown and discussed during consultation, where your surgeon can select cases relevant to your anatomy.

The standards these photos must meet

Before and after images used by registered health practitioners in Australia are governed by the Medical Board of Australia's Guidelines for advertising regulated health services.

• Images must be genuine - real patients, real results.
• Photographs on this website have been retouched only to protect patient privacy, never to enhance or alter the results of the surgery.
• Images must carry a clear and prominent disclaimer that results may vary between individuals.
• Patients must consent to the use of their images.

Results may vary between individuals. A photograph records one person's outcome, not a prediction of yours.

Why the same-looking chest is not the same case

Gynaecomastia involves two different tissues, and which one predominates determines the operation:

• Fatty tissue can generally be removed with liposuction through small incisions, leaving minimal scarring.
• Glandular breast tissue is firm, sits behind the nipple, does not respond to diet or exercise, and cannot be removed by liposuction alone. Removing it requires direct excision through an incision, usually around the lower border of the areola.

Two men whose chests look alike in a photograph may have quite different proportions of each, requiring different techniques and leaving different scars. This is why a photograph of someone else's result tells you less here than you might expect, and why examination and sometimes ultrasound at consultation matter more.

How to read the photographs

• Consistent conditions. Same lighting, angle, distance and posture in both frames. Chest photographs are especially sensitive to arm position and how the shoulders are held.
• Which grade. Gynaecomastia is commonly described in grades 1 to 4, from minor enlargement around the areola through to marked enlargement with significant excess skin. A grade 1 result and a grade 4 result are not comparable.
• Whether skin was removed. In higher grades with significant excess skin, skin excision may be needed, which produces longer scars. Where photographs show a substantial change in a chest that had loose skin, look for where those scars are.
• How much time has passed. Swelling settles over weeks to months, and the final result is generally apparent around six months after surgery. Scars continue to mature for a year or more.
• The nipple and areola. Look at the position, size and symmetry of the nipple-areola complex, not only the chest contour. Where an areola was reduced or repositioned, that was part of the operation.

Why your result will differ

Outcomes vary depending on the proportion of glandular to fatty tissue, the grade, skin quality and elasticity, chest wall shape, body type, and individual healing.

Two further factors matter:

• The underlying cause. Gynaecomastia can be driven by a hormonal imbalance, medication, anabolic steroid or other substance use, or an underlying medical condition. Where the cause is ongoing, gynaecomastia can recur after surgery. Identifying and addressing the cause first is part of proper assessment.
• Weight stability. Where fatty tissue was the main component, weight gain afterwards can change the result.

Costs and Medicare

Gynaecomastia surgery at Me Clinic ranges from $9,000 to $12,000. A Medicare rebate may be available where strict MBS criteria are met - item 31525 for unilateral and 31526 for bilateral gynaecomastia. Eligibility is assessed at consultation and requires a valid referral. Me Clinic is not a no-gap provider, so out-of-pocket costs will apply even where a rebate is available.

As at September 2024 and including GST, a consultation with a Specialist Plastic Surgeon is $350. Since 1 July 2023, all patients are required to have a GP referral before seeing a plastic surgeon or doctor about cosmetic surgery.

Risks

All surgical procedures carry risks and potential complications, including infection, bleeding and haematoma, seroma, scarring, delayed healing, asymmetry, contour irregularity, over-resection producing a hollowed or saucer-shaped appearance, under-resection, changes in nipple sensation which may be permanent, loss of nipple tissue, anaesthesia complications and blood clots. Revision surgery is sometimes required.

Please read our information on the risks and complications of cosmetic surgery before proceeding.

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

Related pages

See gynaecomastia surgery, gynaecomastia costs, or all body procedures.