Demand for male breast reduction surgery in Russia has risen 30 percent over the past year, according to reporting by Baza.
Surgeons say they are seeing more patients with gynecomastia, an enlargement of breast tissue in men. While obesity and hormonal disorders were previously the main causes, doctors now point to a new factor: the use of antidepressants, diuretics, anti-nausea medications, and gastrointestinal drugs based on domperidone.
Doctors note that not everyone who takes these medications will develop gynecomastia, as the outcome depends on dosage, length of treatment, and individual response.
Surgery is typically considered when breast tissue becomes visibly prominent and causes discomfort. In Moscow, the procedure costs between 150,000 and 185,000 rubles, while in St. Petersburg prices range from 60,000 to 180,000 rubles. Some men opt for hormone therapy to avoid surgery altogether.
Endocrinologist and doctor of medical sciences Zukhra Pavlova has previously said that gynecomastia can develop in 65 percent of men.
