Male breast reduction surgery: Derry man's 'more confident future'

A Londonderry man who struggled for years with gynaecomastia - a medical condition that causes male breasts to become larger - has said he considered taking his own life.

It can be caused by obesity, puberty and old age but in Conor McGinty's case it was due to a hormonal imbalance.

His condition became so debilitating over the years he wore compression vests to hide his chest.

Conor recently got breast reduction surgery in Belfast and is in recovery.

'I didn't have the courage to speak out'

"I always had a bigger chest from a young age compared to others and it knocked my confidence," Mr McGinty told BBC News NI.

"I always hid myself and avoided situations where I had to strip down like PE, the gym or swimming. It affected my mental health for years," he added.

Conor and Aisling McGinty

As he got older he started to wear compression vests.

"They made me feel like I had a tighter chest. Nobody knew I had one on," he said.

'Felt like I didn't want to be here anymore'

The former X Factor contestant, who still sings across the north west, said: "While I was confident on stage, my appearance always got to me.

"There was nobody to turn to and the stigma and embarrassment meant I didn't have the courage to speak out to family and friends."

"Things got so bad I considered taking my own life at one point," he added.

"I just felt like I didn't want to be here anymore and I couldn't see a way out of it. It was all so debilitating."

Conor McGinty's chest before and after the surgery

Derry GP, Dr Joe McEvoy, said gynaecomastia "can occur in adolescent boys around the time of puberty but there are other factors like in Conor's case".

"If you're overweight you get a different type of swelling which is the fatty tissue but when the glandular tissue swells it leads to the mimicking of a female breast.

"This can lead to serious mental health problems for people and the fact it is rarely talked about makes it worse.

"More people are going private to get it sorted."

Dr Joe McEvoy says it's a condition that is rarely talked about

While Northern Ireland's Department of Health said the surgery can be done through the NHS, a strict criteria must be met.

The department said a person has to find their appearance intolerable.

The patient must also be post-puberty and have a specific body mass index.

However, lengthy waiting lists and a health system already under pressure means some men are going private for breast reduction surgery.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) told BBC News NI recent figures show an increase in the number of men getting breast reduction surgery privately across the UK - from 217 in 2021 to 2022, to 343 in 2022 to 2023.

Specific Northern Ireland figures are not collated.

Conor said the first person he talked to about his condition and the impact it had was his wife.

"I spoke to Aisling about it and she said she never really saw it as a problem," he said.

"It's amazing how much goes on in your head that others don't even think about.

Conor McGinty paid for private surgery

"I felt that going private for breast reduction surgery in Belfast was my only option. Of course I was anxious about it but when I woke up on that surgeon's table I felt like a new person straight away.

"The breasts that angered me and got me down for so many years were gone. It instantly changed my life."

As the physical scars are starting to heal, Conor said he is now "looking forward to a more confident and brighter future".

"I'm still sore after the surgery but ultimately this will the best decision I ever made. It won't be for everyone but it was for me.

"I can now live my life with one less insecurity."

If you have been affected by anything you have read in this story, support and guidance is available on the BBC Action Line website.