Gynecomastia Surgery Up in the U.K – Again!
Matthew McConaughey
You read it here first!
Back in June, 2009, your humble blogger reported that British surgeons had crunched the plastic surgery statistics for 2008 to reveal that gynecomastia surgery had increased 44 percent over the previous year.
Well, the beat goes on with male breast reductions in the U.K. surgeries up again.
If you haven’t already read the news, here’s how USA Today presented the growing gynecomastia surgery statistics over there.
For 2009, male breast reduction surgery in the British Isles increased 80 percent, from 328 surgeries in 2008 to 581 in 2009, reports the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS. )
The BAAPS represents one in three cosmetic surgeons in the U.K., so the actual number can be closer to 1000.
But only five years ago, British surgeons counted just 22 gynecomastia surgeries.
It’s unusual because a worldwide slowdown seemed to have shrunk the number of almost all invasive plastic surgery procedures.
Moreover, all male U.K. surgeries are up 21 percent from last year. Included are:
- Nose jobs
- Ear pinning (otoplasty)
- Liposuction
- Eyelid lifts
Some British surgeons reckon that the media is partly responsible by featuring more pictures of very flat-chested celebrities like Matthew McConaughey. And, like their female counterparts, more British men are learning they can do something about their “man boobs.”
(Check out what some American teens, bodybuilders and other dissatisfied guys have done about their own female-like chests in these before and after male breast reduction pictures.)
Some plastic surgeons have suggested that an increase in female hormones in the drinking water may be causing more cases. (Read our previous post about female hormones in the water causing more British gynecomastia surgery.)
In contrast, according to American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), gynecomastia surgery in the United States actually declined (Surprise! Due to the economy!) 5.7 percent from 2007 to 2008. While 2007 saw 20,280 gynecomastia surgery procedures on U.S. shores, only 19,124 were counted in 2008.
Crunching the same data, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) figures male breast reduction declined from 2007 to 2008 by 16 percent. (From 21,311 procedures down to 20,351 operations.)
According to one men’s health site, the cost of gynecomastia surgery in London appears to be around 4000 British pounds (US$6485) and takes about 90 minutes.