Insurance

[Amity2]

Hello all, Ive had gyno since age 12 and now 30. Im seriously looking into surgery and live in Rhode Island. Lately Ive been having pain and sensitivity. Ive met with a general surgeon to remove and he told me insurance will cover the surgery but gave me fair warning that it wont look as good as a cosmetic surgeon. I understand this. My question is that if insurance will cover removal can I go to a cosmetic surgeon? Do cosmetic surgeons accept insurance? Can i have general surgeon remove growth and have cosmetic follow up with lipo and finish the process to look the way id like? Thanks for your help

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

There are times in one's life when one should make a decision about money and what it will buy for you.  It seems that you are most concerned about cost and less about results.  Bear in mind that most general surgeons, as good as they are, do not do as good a job on gynecomastia as do plastic surgeons.  You are now considering two operations, when the entire job could be done in one procedure by a plastic surgeon.  Also, bear in mind that if the first surgery doesn't go well or leaves deformities or bad scars, there may not be a way to improve the results.  You will then have to live with the results and will think every day that you could have gone to the appropriate surgeon in the first place.

Dr Jacobs

[Dr. Schuster]

If he general surgeon is elling you that the results are not ging to be good, why would you consider still going to that surgeon. With this kind of problem you want to get the best result posible the first time. i strongly recommend choosing an experienced gynecomastia surgeon.

[DrPensler]

I have discussed this issue with multiple directors of insurance for many companies.  The bottom line I have found is that insurance companies do not cover the costs of gynecomastia correction. The only exception I have found is for a small group of executives from Las Vegas who have cosmetic surgery included in their policies.