Gynecomastia, or male breast enlargement, is now easier to treat using minimally invasive surgery. Traditionally, gynecomastia has been treated by liposuction of some sort, either ultrasonic or laser.  This has tended to be unsatisfactory as true glandular tissue could not adequately be removed.  If complete removal was desired, it needed to be done through direct excision via an incision in  the breast.  Not only is direct excision technically difficult, the subsequent scarring tends to defeat the purpose of the surgery, which was to make the breast look as normal as possible.

Now, excision of glandular breast  tissue can be accomplished by using the same instruments employed in knee arthroscopy.  A knife used  to shave cartilage in joint surgery can be used to remove the unwanted breast tissue that cannot be removed with liposuction. The "knife" itself is really a rotary blade in metal tube or cannula, just like those cannulas used to perform liposuction. When inserted through the same holes used to suction the fatty portion of the breast, this technique results in no additional scarring.

An average procedure like this takes an hour or two and is done under general anesthesia, usually in an outpatient setting.  Patients can usually return to work in a few days and resume exercise in about two weeks.  For men unhappy with their breast enlargement,  this procedure could be the answer.