Risks & Potential Complications

Complications (general)

Before deciding to proceed with surgery, every patient needs to thoroughly consider the risks, as well as the benefits, of surgery. During your pre-operative consultation(s), Mr Masters will openly discuss the risks with you so that you can consider them. A full listing of all the potential complications and risks of this procedure is beyond the scope of this website. There are two broad groupings of surgical risks: those that pertain to surgery in general; and those specific to the procedure being performed. Generalised surgical risks include:

  • Bleeding  usually occurs within the first 24-48 hours of the procedure and may require a return to the operating room. A quiet, restful post-operative period will help to avoid this problem.
  • Bruising  whenever possible, Mr Masters uses medications and techniques that help to avoid post-operative bruising. The appropriate use of Arnica may help to speed the resolution of bruising.
  • Infection  surgical incisions, even though created in ideal circumstances, can become infected.
  • When appropriate, antibiotics will be prescribed to lower this risk.
  • Unfavourable scarring  every surgical incision results in a scar. It is Mr Masters’ role to maximise the quality of your scars and, whenever possible, to hide them in natural skin creases.

Risks and Complications (Specific to Gynecomastia)

Male breast reduction, when performed using modern techniques by a fully qualified surgeon who has undergone comprehensive training in their field, should not result in significant complications. However, surgery, even liposuction, should not to be undertaken lightly by either the patient or the surgeon because complications can and do occur from time to time. These include:

  • Asymmetry  any right versus left asymmetry is usually within the normal levels of asymmetry which exists in our society in people who have never had an operation.
  • Skin death  this is a rare complication usually associated with the inappropriate use of UAL technology. Mr Masters has never had a case of skin loss from liposuction.
  • Dimpling, rippling, ridges and divots  once again, with modern techniques using tumescent fluid and small cannula, these occurrences should be rare. Mr Masters aims to leave the skin no wavier than what it was pre-operatively.
  • Sagging of skin post-operatively  this complication can occur, but is much less frequent than one would expect. If Mr Masters believes your skin will not reduce in size to match the post-liposuctional volume of the area concerned, then he will recommend an alternative surgical technique.
  • Sensory changes  As discussed above, there can be a period of time where the skin loses sensation. The norm is to have complete recovery of sensation after liposuction.
  • Scarring  troublesome scarring from the liposuction cannulas is an infrequent occurrence as the wounds are so small.