Gynecomastia in Teens

[Artyisonfire]

I was just wondering what I can do about my gynecomastia. I've had it since I was 10, and I didn't worry much about it due to the fact that I was obese. I am highly convinced that it will never ever go away no matter what I do. Now I'm 15 and 5'1. Last year, I weighed 174 lbs. As the doctor suggested, I brought it down to 128 by eating 900-1200 calories a day and running around my neighborhood(incline and decline) everyday after school for 2 months. My tits stayed. This makes me heavily depressed. The lump protrudes out about 3 inches from my chest AND they are puffy at the tips(I will not post pics because i am very self-conscious).

"It is pubertal and it will go away on its own."

bullshit. all my brothers have it, but it is much less noticeable.

I want to talk to a doctor about it, but I don't know if gyno surgery on adolescent males is allowed. What do I say to my doctor? Also, if surgery was ok, how do I get my insurance to cover it? I want to be able to enjoy my last 2 years of high school. I am very desperate.

 

[dremmanuelasare]

Hi artyisonfire,

Thank you for being courageous enough to post about your situation. I specialize in gynecomastia surgery and do see lots of teen patients in similar situations as yours. In fact, I have included a picture below of a case last year where the teen had surgery at around age 19 after he had endured the condition for many years, as you also have. This condition can definitely be genetic, where more than one person in a family develops it (as you have described occurring in your family).

Unfortunately, surgery is generally not covered by medical insurance because the procedure is considered cosmetic surgery and not medically necessary. I normally prefer to treat teens after the age of 18, but in special cases, I do make exceptions when the patient has had it long term without resolution and they are experiencing severe mental anguish from it. Blood tests and other medical tests are required before surgery to rule out any serious, underlying conditions. If you do not live in the New York area (where I am), you should look up a plastic surgeon in your area who specializes in gynecomastia surgery. A regular plastic surgeon may not always be able to give good results; you want a specialist. Most plastic surgery offices offer financing so your parents can borrow the money if they cannot pay for surgery with cash upfront. I hope that helps you to better understand your next steps, what is covered, and who to see. Please keep the forum updated on what you decide to do. If you'd like to speak with me over the phone or to schedule an appointment to talk, feel free to call me at (631) 499-1831.

I wish you all the best,

Dr. Asare

 

[Artyisonfire]

Hi artyisonfire,

Thank you for being courageous enough to post about your situation. I specialize in gynecomastia surgery and do see lots of teen patients in similar situations as yours. In fact, I have included a picture below of a case last year where the teen had surgery at around age 19 after he had endured the condition for many years, as you also have. This condition can definitely be genetic, where more than one person in a family develops it (as you have described occurring in your family).

Unfortunately, surgery is generally not covered by medical insurance because the procedure is considered cosmetic surgery and not medically necessary. I normally prefer to treat teens after the age of 18, but in special cases, I do make exceptions when the patient has had it long term without resolution and they are experiencing severe mental anguish from it. Blood tests and other medical tests are required before surgery to rule out any serious, underlying conditions. If you do not live in the New York area (where I am), you should look up a plastic surgeon in your area who specializes in gynecomastia surgery. A regular plastic surgeon may not always be able to give good results; you want a specialist. Most plastic surgery offices offer financing so your parents can borrow the money if they cannot pay for surgery with cash upfront. I hope that helps you to better understand your next steps, what is covered, and who to see. Please keep the forum updated on what you decide to do. If you'd like to speak with me over the phone or to schedule an appointment to talk, feel free to call me at (631) 499-1831.

I wish you all the best,

Dr. Asare

Thanks for replying! So I decided to schedule an appointment with a health physician, and he said that they were actually likely to perform the surgery on me! So he went on ahead and sent the referral to the surgeon. He told me insurance would cover it because it is "psychologically traumatic." and it is one of the few cosmetic surgeries they will go through with. As for my blood tests, everything is normal. My hormones are normal and nothing is wrong with me. I am currently just waiting for the refferral to go through. Do you know how long I would have to wait? It's been a week and a half and still no phone call or anything. Thank you for your help.