The condition affects men across age groups, but teenage boys often struggle most with its social implications. Parents sometimes view it as normal, having observed the condition from childhood.
Published Aug 27, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 27, 2025 | 7:00 AM
Synopsis: In 2024, 47,320 men in India underwent male breast reduction surgery, marking a 10.8 percent rise from 42,719 cases in 2023, according to data from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. The condition affects men across age groups, but teenage boys often struggle most with its social implications. Exercise and diet cannot address the condition.
Cosmetic and plastic surgery has long been considered a woman’s domain in India. But one procedure is changing that narrative. Gynecomastia surgery, or male breast reduction, is gaining pace among Indian men seeking medical solutions for a condition that affects both their physical health and social confidence.
In 2024, 47,320 men underwent gynecomastia surgery in India, marking a 10.8 percent increase from 42,719 cases the previous year, according to data from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS). The numbers reflect a shift in how Indian men approach their health and appearance.
Within India’s expanding cosmetic surgery market, which grew 25.3 percent from 1,028,723 procedures in 2023 to 1,288,840 in 2024, gynecomastia accounts for 7 percent of all surgical procedures. It is now the fifth most common surgical treatment in the country.
The growth comes within India’s broader expansion of surgical procedures, which rose 27.3 percent from 531,792 in 2023 to 677,040 in 2024. While gynecomastia’s 10.8 percent growth appears more measured in comparison, it signals steady medical demand rather than trend-driven popularity.
“Awareness has increased. Every month we are doing 10-15 cases of gynecomastia. So we are seeing the rise in the surgeries now,” said Dr Kiran Banda, Senior Consultant Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon at Medicover Hospital in Hyderabad, speaking to South First.
The condition affects men across age groups, but teenage boys often struggle most with its social implications. Parents sometimes view it as normal, having observed the condition from childhood, Dr Banda explains.
“But for the boys it becomes difficult, the shirt becomes tight, t-shirt becomes hard to wear, swim outside, and bullying as well, so there the process of surgery starts,” he added.
Gynecomastia literally translates to “woman-like breasts” from Greek, referring to the proliferation of glandular breast tissue in men. Unlike fat accumulation, this tissue growth results from hormonal imbalance between oestrogen and testosterone.
“It is the proliferation of glandular breast tissue, not just fat accumulation in men, due to hormonal imbalance between estrogen and testosterone. While this is a medical condition, it also brings social anxiety among boys and men,” Dr Banda said.
Exercise and diet cannot address the condition. “Gynecomastia is growth of glandular breast tissue stimulated by hormones, which is unlike simple fat accumulation that exercise and weight loss can reduce. It is structurally different from fat and is hormonally driven,” he explained.
Medical professionals classify gynecomastia into grades that determine treatment approach.
Grade 1 involves small enlargement of male breast tissue without excess skin. The chest maintains a near-normal appearance with subtle changes, mostly slight swelling around the nipple. This form may not be visible when wearing clothes.
Grade 2 represents moderate enlargement that can include mild sagging or skin excess. The growth extends beyond the areola but does not create significant skin redundancy. Grade 2a indicates no skin excess, while Grade 2b shows minor excess skin.
The surgical approach has become more systematic. “When anyone comes with a clinical presentation, we do the test, determine the background of the patients, and then go for the surgery. It’s a small surgery which doesn’t take much recovery time,” Dr Banda said.
The procedure has evolved into a day surgery model. “You get admitted in the morning and you go back in the evening. You don’t have to stay back in the hospital also. 90 percent of the cases, 90 percent almost,” Dr Banda explained.
However, he emphasises the importance of proper medical infrastructure.
“Ideally it has to be done in a centre which has proper post-op protocols, proper intensive care and an intensivist. A proper anaesthetist who can manage postoperatively any complication. Sometimes even they can be a little bit of bleeding—out of 100 cases one case might be there,” Dr Banda said.
“Some patient might be having some conditions which he might be hiding from the doctor, so he might be having some bleeding disorders. To handle that scenario you have to have that setup in that hospital where you can manage that case in the night.”
Recovery timelines are predictable. “In a period of a week’s time I think he should be fine. Going to school, going to his office, he can do it immediately on the 2nd day. While going to his gym and everything he can start at the end of 3 to 4 weeks,” Dr Banda said.
Most importantly, the results are permanent. “Once it is done, it is done for lifetime. It won’t relapse. That is one more confidence that patients come for,” he assured.
India ranks seventh worldwide in gynecomastia procedures, capturing 3.5 percent of the global market. This position is significant alongside India’s sixth-place ranking in plastic surgeon numbers, with an estimated 2,800 practitioners nationally.
This accessibility has contributed to widespread adoption among surgeons. Data shows 94.2 percent of India’s plastic surgeons perform gynecomastia procedures, the highest participation rate for any cosmetic treatment in the country.
The surgeon-to-procedure ratio suggests efficient use of medical expertise and indicates patient demand that could support continued market expansion.
India’s hospital-based cosmetic surgery model serves gynecomastia patients well. With 67.3 percent of procedures performed in hospital settings, male breast reduction benefits from facilities equipped for general anaesthesia and overnight observation when required.
The hospital-centred approach also provides comprehensive care for patients dealing with both medical and psychological aspects of the condition.
Several factors drive the growth in male aesthetic procedures. Rising incomes, greater health awareness, and changing attitudes towards male grooming are contributing to expanding demand.
