Gynecomastia? and is it covered by insurances?

[LawBringerSR2]

Hello,

I should start off by saying that I have very limited knowledge of this condition, as well as the treatments one would have to undergo--so I apologize in advance for my ignorance on the topic. Haha  

I'm a 23 year old male living in Orlando, FL. I'm 6'1 and I weight 180 lbs. I used to be overweight (240 lbs) but began to lose said weight with Cardio and weight lifting about a year ago.

I didn't worry about possibly having Gynecomastia until after I lost a significant portion of fat from my body and noticed my chest is still pretty large...Especially in comparison to other guys my weight and size, not to mention the size of my nipples. I can also feel what I think is quite a bit of hard breast tissue behind the areola.







Is this simply just chest fat I haven't lost yet, or actually a case of gynecomastia? If this is gynecomastia, what steps should I take to get an official diagnosis? would a regular doctor do or should I see a plastic surgeon first? Also, would this be covered by insurance (I have Aetna)? If not, what's the average cost of surgery?

Thank you so very much for your time.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Most men have a combination of fat and breast tissue on their chest.  When weight is lost, the fat component diminishes in size but the breast tissue does not change.  As a result, there will still be some apparent excess tissue on the chest -- and sometimes it seemingly becomes more prominent because of the loss of fat from surrounding areas.

Your only alternative is to consider surgery or live with it.  Would suggest you search for an experienced gyne surgeon in your area and have an in-depth consultation -- you will get a lot of answers to your questions.  Dr. Pope is excellent and he works in Orlando.

Doubt whether insurance will cover this surgery, however. 

Good luck!

Dr Jacobs

[DrPensler]

I pretty much agree with Dr. Jacobs.Gynecomastia is not covered by insurance.I have a patient who developed gynecomastia as a result of chemotherapy and the insurance company would not cover it.

[Litlriki]

I have to agree with Drs. Jacobs and Pensler.  You've done a great job with your weight loss, and whether you address your chest or not is a personal decision.  Unlike some men in your situation, you look like a guy with a big chest, rather than having the saggy breast tissue that some men have after weight loss.  Dr. Pope is in your neighborhood, so you could at least get a consultation and better understand what you're dealing with it and what it would entail to address it.

Good luck,

Rick Silverman