7322 E 91st St, Tulsa, OK 74133 · 918-392-0880 · tulsasurgicalarts.com
Oklahoma Surgical Arts · 12400 Saint Andrew’s Dr, Oklahoma City, OK 73120 · 405-751-0042
Gynecomastia Surgery (Male Breast Reduction)
Plain-language patient guide
What this surgery is
Gynecomastia means extra breast tissue in men. It is common and usually harmless, but it can be embarrassing. Surgery removes the extra gland tissue and fat to flatten the chest.
Diet and exercise cannot shrink gland tissue. That is why surgery works when workouts do not.
What happens during it
You get anesthesia (medicine that makes you sleep) or deep sedation.
Fat is removed with liposuction through tiny cuts (a thin tube suctions the fat).
Firm gland tissue is removed through a small cut along the edge of the dark skin around the nipple.
The skin is closed with fine stitches. A snug compression vest goes on.
Surgery takes about one to two hours. You go home the same day.
Main risks
Every surgery has risks. Here are the main ones for this surgery, in plain words. We will go over all of them with you in person.
A dip or crater under the nipple if too much tissue is removed. Careful technique avoids this.
Changed nipple feeling for months. It usually returns.
Loose skin if the skin does not shrink back. Older skin shrinks less.
The tissue can regrow with weight gain or certain drugs and supplements.
Bleeding. Some bleeding can need another trip to the operating room.
Infection. Signs are spreading redness, warmth, pus, or fever.
Scars. Every cut leaves a scar. Most fade over a year. Some stay raised or wide.
Numb skin near the cuts. Feeling usually returns over months. Small areas can stay numb.
Blood clots in the legs. A clot can travel to the lungs. That is an emergency.
Problems from anesthesia (the medicine that makes you sleep). These are rare in healthy people.
Uneven results. The two sides of the body are never a perfect match.
The need for another surgery to fix a problem or improve the result.
What recovery is like
First few days
Chest soreness and swelling. Wear the compression vest day and night.
One week
Most men return to desk work. Bruising fades.
Two weeks
Light cardio is fine. Keep the vest on as directed.
Six weeks
Full workouts, including chest exercises. The final contour shows over months.
When to call us right away
Call us at 918-392-0880, day or night, if:
One side of the chest swells fast and feels tight or very painful.
You have chest pain or trouble breathing. Call 911 first, then call us.
One leg swells, or one calf hurts more than the other.
You have a fever over 101 degrees.
Blood soaks a bandage and does not slow down with gentle pressure.
Redness spreads out from a cut, or you see pus.
Your pain gets much worse instead of better.
A wound pulls open, or stitches come apart.
Approved for patient use — released under the clinical review of the Tulsa Surgical Arts surgical team, August 2026.