I used to work on a plastic surgery clinic and we did mastectomy/breast reduction (removal of all or some breast tissue) a decent amount for cis men, cis women, and trans men. I even did the insurance paperwork for all of the non-cosmetic procedures.
Different insurance companies have different criteria for breast reduction and/or mastectomy. You can call your insurance company and ask them to send you the “Medical Necessity Criteria” for mastectomy or breast reduction for an adult male. You can also schedule a consultation with a plastic surgeon and they can run it through your insurance after doing an exam and taking measurements and whatnot.
The procedure itself is pretty straightforward, it’s usually an outpatient surgery and you go home the same day. There will be a small, linear scar, usually along the underside of the breast, but they sew it under the skin, so the scar is very minimal when it heals. Depending on how much tissue they have to remove, you might have to have drains in there with tubes that come out through the skin for a couple of weeks to make sure you don’t end up with a fluid collection, and you’ll most likely need to wear a binder of some kind for 2-4 weeks to also help prevent fluid accumulation. Your individual situation might vary, so make sure to write down all of your questions to bring to your consultation appointment to go over with the surgeon.
Pro tip for in-demand medical specialties: the easiest time to schedule an appointment with them is usually January and February because everyone’s deductible reset on the new year and people don’t want to pay the out of pocket costs if they can avoid it.
I used to work on a plastic surgery clinic and we did mastectomy/breast reduction (removal of all or some breast tissue) a decent amount for cis men, cis women, and trans men. I even did the insurance paperwork for all of the non-cosmetic procedures.
Different insurance companies have different criteria for breast reduction and/or mastectomy. You can call your insurance company and ask them to send you the “Medical Necessity Criteria” for mastectomy or breast reduction for an adult male. You can also schedule a consultation with a plastic surgeon and they can run it through your insurance after doing an exam and taking measurements and whatnot.
The procedure itself is pretty straightforward, it’s usually an outpatient surgery and you go home the same day. There will be a small, linear scar, usually along the underside of the breast, but they sew it under the skin, so the scar is very minimal when it heals. Depending on how much tissue they have to remove, you might have to have drains in there with tubes that come out through the skin for a couple of weeks to make sure you don’t end up with a fluid collection, and you’ll most likely need to wear a binder of some kind for 2-4 weeks to also help prevent fluid accumulation. Your individual situation might vary, so make sure to write down all of your questions to bring to your consultation appointment to go over with the surgeon.
Pro tip for in-demand medical specialties: the easiest time to schedule an appointment with them is usually January and February because everyone’s deductible reset on the new year and people don’t want to pay the out of pocket costs if they can avoid it.