A man who spent $7,000 – the equivalent of more than £5,000 – on surgery to reduce his ‘man boobs’ after being relentlessly bullied as a child has said the procedure has completely transformed his life.
Kelbin Cordova, 32, from Atlanta, Georgia, said he first noticed he had excess breast tissue while at high school, when a doctor diagnosed him with gynecomastia – a condition caused by an increase in breast gland tissue in men.
From a young age, Mr Cordova said he was subjected to cruel comments about his appearance, leaving him deeply self-conscious and anxious in everyday situations many people take for granted.
‘There was some bullying growing up. I would be called fat or told I had ‘man boobs’,’ he said.
‘Going into fitting rooms was especially frustrating. I would get so emotional and upset because no matter what clothes I tried on, my chest was still so prominent.’
For years, he believed losing weight might solve the problem. He took up intense exercise and slimmed down – but the excess breast tissue remained.
‘I did lots of cardio, I lost weight, but nothing happened to my chest,’ he said. ‘That was when I realised it wasn’t just about being overweight.’
In June last year, Mr Cordova decided to pay privately for gynecomastia surgery.
The procedure removes excess breast tissue and fat to create a flatter, more traditionally masculine chest.
The operation, carried out by North Carolina-based plastic surgeon Dr Walter Dutton, was not covered by insurance.
Since undergoing surgery, Mr Cordova says his confidence has soared, dramatically changing how he feels about his body and how he lives his life.
‘It has completely changed everything,’ he said. ‘It sounds silly, but I love shopping now. I feel good in my clothes. I feel more like a man – this is what I always wanted to look like.’
The former radio presenter said that before surgery he went to extreme lengths to hide his chest, even at the expense of his comfort.
‘I was constantly buying clothes thick enough so my breasts wouldn’t show,’ he said.
‘In the summer, I would wear jean jackets all the time because I thought if I doubled up, people wouldn’t notice.’
At the time, he was living in Miami, where summer temperatures regularly soar.
Should health insurance cover cosmetic surgery for men with conditions like gynecomastia?
Go to comments ‘Wearing jackets through the summer there was hell,’ he added.
He said the surgery has also lifted a long-standing fear of being judged in public spaces.
‘Now I don’t have any anxiety or stress that people are looking at my chest,’ he said.
‘I used to be scared of going to the gym, and now that has completely changed.’
His story comes amid a growing number of men in the US and UK opting for cosmetic surgery to reduce their chests.
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, gynecomastia surgery is now the most popular cosmetic procedure among men in the country.
In 2024, surgeons performed 26,430 male breast reductions – a sharp rise from 20,955 in 2019.
Meanwhile, latest figures by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) show the number of men getting breast reductions rose by two per cent between 2023 and 2024, from 242 to 248.
However, analysis by BAAPS showed in general there was a 1.5 per cent decline in men getting plastic surgery in the same time period.
Mr Cordova believes the increase reflects changing attitudes toward male cosmetic surgery.
‘I think there’s more education out there now about gynecomastia,’ he said.
‘And we’re becoming less judgemental when it comes to plastic surgery.’
‘A lot of guys used to say it was gay or only for women — but I think men are now more open about wanting to feel comfortable in their own bodies.’
The NHS says gynecomastia typically causes one or both breasts to grow larger than usual in men and boys. The condition can also make the nipples and surrounding tissue appear swollen or feel sore.
In many cases, it is harmless and may resolve without treatment, particularly during puberty.
However, the health service says people troubled by the condition should see a GP, who may recommend treatments such as medication to alter hormone levels or weight loss if excess body fat is contributing.
If gynecomastia is caused by an underlying medical condition, treating that condition may help reduce breast size.
Surgery can be effective where other treatments have failed, but the NHS warns it is rarely available and usually only offered in exceptional circumstances.
These include cases where gynecomastia has been present for a long time, causes significant pain or distress, has not responded to other treatments, and where strict body mass index criteria are met.
