Dubai : A Dubai clinic has reported a sharp increase in the number of men coming in for breast reduction surgeries.
"We receive at least four-five patients every month, 90 per cent of whom are Emiratis in their 20s," Dr Dawood Sulaiman of the International Aesthetic Medical Centre said.
He said several men suffer from gynaecomastia, or enlarged breasts, due to obesity, hormonal imbalances, use of medications like steroids or proteins for muscle-building and, in rare cases, carcinoma or other diseases.
With the size of the breasts being persistently large in such men despite lean diets and exercise, Dr Sulaiman said the solution often lies in cosmetic reconstructive surgery where excessive skin and fatty tissue can be removed through liposuction - a simple surgical procedure.
Easy procedure
He said after administering local anaesthesia, a tiny incision ranging from 5mm to 1cm is created in the breast through which fat deposits are vacuumed out through a thin tube. Because blood and other bodily fluids are removed along with the fat, patients also receive replacement fluids intravenously during and after liposuction.
Dr Sulaiman said the process takes around 45 minutes to one hour. Patients, who are discharged the same day, have to wear a pressure garment for some time, but resume normal life within two weeks. He said the procedure costs between Dh7,000 and Dh12,000. In extreme cases, the mammary gland is targeted and another surgery may have to be done to shift the nipple and areola, he said.
Eisa Saeed, a 25-year-old Emirati who went in for a liposuction on June 29 this year, said: "I feel very good that I can wear anything now and hang out with my friends without any inhibitions."
Khalid, a 39-year-old Saudi businessman in Dubai who had his breasts reduced on August 9, said: "I used to feel shy to go out with my family on the beach for a swim. My kids used to ask me why my breasts looked like their mother's. But now I feel more confident about myself."
Gynaecomastia: facts and causes
Gynaecomastia, or enlarged breasts in males, is caused by obesity, hormonal imbalances, use of steroids and muscle-building proteins
One can undergo cosmestic surgery to treat the problem
Surgery can cost between Dh7,000 and Dh12,000, depending on the severity of the problem.
