Gynecomastia Surgery: Too Young? Too Old?
How old does a young person need to be before considering male breast reduction surgery? How old is too old?
These are variations on the question of what makes a good candidate for gynecomastia surgery. You can probably guess what our immediate answer usually is—it all depends. In fact, many of the qualities we look for in a surgery candidate are not closely tied to age, such as overall good health, a positive attitude, reasonable expectations and so on.
Younger Patients
The youngest gynecomastia patient we have worked with was 11 years old. This is a young age indeed, and somewhat unusual; our typical younger patient is at least a teenager. For adolescents and young men, critical success factors include:
- Waiting at least two years to ensure the condition is persistent
- Visiting an endocrinologist to ensure hormone levels are appropriate
- Determining that the young man is mature enough to weather the healing process
- Discussing psychological aspects of man boobs and the changes surgery brings
- Having parental support and understanding
Older Patients
We regularly serve senior men as well as teens with moobs. The oldest gynecomastia patient we’ve helped is 74 years old. While undergoing surgery at a more advanced age does require some extra planning, healthy senior patients can also make good candidates for male breast reduction. Additional steps we take with older men include:
- Making sure a full physical is performed by the primary care physician
- Ordering additional tests when prudent to minimize risks
- Discussing skin quality and the potential impact on ultimate results
- Securing extra support staff during recovery as needed for patient comfort
We never push a man, regardless of age, toward surgery, but we never discourage a potential patient based solely on their age either. When we meet young guys suffering from moobs, they are doing just that: truly suffering at a formative time. Oftentimes their primary care physician has assured them that the condition will go away by itself, and for many it doesn’t happen. The same can be said for a man who develops enlarged breasts due to hormone changes later in life—often they do not go away on their own. Seniors can suffer profound embarrassment and dissatisfaction with their bodies just as younger men do.
Whether a guy is a good candidate for male breast reduction is a decision that should be made by the patient and plastic surgeon together in consultation. Age is certainly a factor to be considered—but just one factor.
