How much does gynecomastia surgery cost in Singapore?
While there’s nothing wrong with having man boobs, it can eventually cause embarrassment and loss of confidence for those who suffer from it.
In fact, this condition is called gynecomastia or the enlargement of breasts for men. That said, the best method to fix this problem is through surgery.
Luckily, we’re here to help you by providing the estimated costs of gynecomastia surgery here in Singapore.
What is gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia is a medical condition where a man abnormally develops enlarged breast tissues. Normally, men have breast glands that aren’t that noticeable.
Apart from that, this condition can progressively occur at any stage of development. Additionally, it can be connected to other medical conditions too.
Due to its visible swelling, the most effective way to remove these undesirable breasts in men is via gynecomastia surgery. This procedure is the same as breast reduction for women.
The cost of this surgery ranges from $2,500 to $13,000. Other factors may also affect its cost such as the surgeon fee, anaesthesia, type of procedure, and medications.
What are the causes and symptoms of gynecomastia?
Generally, gynecomastia happens when there’s an imbalance between the female hormone and the male hormone.
In most cases, the female hormone dominates the male hormone, which triggers the swelling of breast glands.
Aside from that, there are also various reasons that causes gynecomastia:
- Drugs like corticosteroid and opioid
- Anti-anxiety and heartburn medications
- Obesity
- Low testosterone
- Hyperthyroidism
- Liver cirrhosis
- Chronic kidney failure
- Testicular cancer
When looking for symptoms, the most important thing that you need to consider first is the duration of the enlargement of the breast. This is a way to know the severity of your condition.
Here are some important factors as well:
- Nipple pain and discharge
- Tenderness and itching
- Development of secondary sexual characteristic
- Disturbed sexual function (erecticle dysfunction and lower libido)
There are also potential treatment options for gynecomastia. You can undergo either testosterone replacement therapy or Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERM).
If these basic treatments won’t work, you can always opt for plastic surgery for a faster way to remove excess breast tissues.
Estimated Cost of Gynecomastia Surgery Services in SG
There are two types of gynecomastia surgery: liposuction and mastectomy. Their cost depends on how invasive the procedure is.
Liposuction involves extraction of the breast fat and is usually cheaper among the two, which ranges from $2,500 to $6,000.
While mastectomy is the surgical removal of breast gland tissues, note that the price is usually higher due to its low risk and faster recovery time.
Unfortunately, gynecomastia surgery can be an out-of-pocket expense. For Singapore citizens, MediSave can only cover gynecomastia surgery depending on its severity.
So it’s advisable to consult your surgeon first in order to know if your case can be covered by MediSave or not.
On the other hand, there are some health insurance policies that cover gynecomastia surgery too.