Diagnostic Criteria: Larger than normal tissue under the areola, palpable elevation (swelling) or mass (lump).

*If a man’s entire chest is swollen with fat, it is not covered by insurance (in this case, liposuction can be performed at your own expense).

*All surgeries at our clinic are performed by our director, an American board-certified plastic surgeon and former UCLA Chief Resident.

Surgical method:

• Approach through skin incision around the areola (under local anesthesia).
• The mammary gland tissue under the areola is excised under direct vision.
• Suture the areola wound.

Approximate cost of treatment:

About 37,000 yen for both sides (in case of 30% co-pay) under the Japanese insurance (*price for Tricare is different from this).

(In addition, the preoperative examination fee is about ¥4,000 to ¥5,000, and the pathological examination fee is about ¥3,000.)

Recovery, complications, sequelae:

・If there are no postoperative problems, desk work and other work is possible from the next day. Stitches are removed in about 7 days. The surgical site once becomes hard (about 1 to 3 months) due to scarring, and then gradually softens.

・Complications include a hematoma (accumulation of blood), and if approached from the areola, the scar (bleached line) may be visible.

・Because postoperative care is required, please be prepared to visit the clinic as needed for 1-2 weeks after surgery.

・Depending on the symptoms, removal of the breast tissue alone may not improve the condition.

・Although the scar after surgery is small, people who are extremely concerned about it should be careful when choosing the surgical method.

Learn more about Gynecomastia Surgery in Tokyo Japan.

In addition to the physical examination including palpation, we also perform MRI examinations at a third-party institution for patients who come to our clinic complaining of symptoms such as gynecomastia. Palpation alone may not tell whether gynecomastia-like breast ridges are due to a subareolar mass, a fibrous component, or fat buildup. An MRI scan will tell you these things fairly accurately and can be diagnosed by an independent radiologist.

If the MRI results show true gynecomastia, treatment is possible within the scope of the Japanese national insurance coverage. Conversely, if a diagnosis of pseudogynecomastia is made due to findings such as a large amount of adipose tissue, adipose tissue aspiration is indicated instead of resection, which is a free practice (no insurance coverage).

Next, even if the tumor is removed by subareolar incision in insurance medical treatment, at our clinic, by removing the surrounding adipose tissue to some extent at the same time, a steep step with the excised part of the tumor is eliminated, and more complete hemostasis is performed. We believe that we can get the better results this way. This method is also commonly done in the United States.

At our clinic, in cases where surgical treatment is performed under the diagnosis of gynecomastia, the excised tissue is submitted to an external pathological examination, and the pathological diagnosis report is given to the patient.

Diagnosis and treatment of gynecomastia requires a scientific approach tailored to each individual patient, and our clinic diagnoses and treats with the above protocol.