Truman Customer Story Column
Passing along only the good stories is not hard. But whether that makes for honest guidance is a separate question.
An Honest Line — It Was Harder Than Expected
Today I deliberately chose the story of a patient who wrote frankly that recovery was no small matter. He is someone who received three procedures at once — gynecomastia surgery, apocrine (body odor) gland treatment, and nipple reduction. I believe his honest answers will help those weighing surgery more than any advertising line could.
"Going through it for real, it was harder than I expected."
When I asked what stayed with him during the process, he wrote this:
"Going through it for real, it was harder than I expected."
There is a reason I include this answer as it is. Because he combined three procedures, the recovery burden was inevitably greater than for gynecomastia surgery alone. When the scope of surgery widens, the share the body must bear grows as well. I believe it is only right to say this in advance, before surgery. The degree of recovery varies with the scope of surgery and the individual's condition, and I cannot promise that it will pass comfortably throughout.
The Way to Reduce Worry Is to Follow the Rules
Before surgery, what he worried about was side effects and recovery. Yet the answer he left after passing through recovery was unexpectedly simple.
"If you just follow what's in the video, you get through it without a problem."
We organize the post-surgery care rules into a guidance video. Wearing the compression garment, the range of activity, dressing changes and visit schedules. That a patient who wrote honestly that recovery was hard also wrote that you only need to follow the rules is no coincidence. The surest way through a difficult period is to follow the set guidance.
01
The Impression He Left of the Clinic
When asked about his impression of the clinic, he answered this:
"I felt it was a place that pays a lot of attention to its patients."
The more a patient combines three procedures, the more there is to check and to look after. Accordingly, we look in on him more often as well. If that process came across to him that way, I am glad.
02
Wearing Light Clothes and Walking Tall
As what he wanted to do after surgery, he named wearing light clothes, and walking with confidence.
A summer where he no longer has to hide behind heavy clothing. A path walked without minding others' eyes. In the end, it is scenes like these that carry a person through the hard time of recovery.
03
On His Answer About Insurance Coverage
For those with the same concern, he left an answer to the effect that if insurance applies, it would be good to go ahead.
That said, I want to make clear that this is a personal opinion drawn from his own experience. Whether gynecomastia surgery is covered and whether private indemnity insurance applies depend on the diagnosis and on the terms of the insurance you are enrolled in. For those who are still weighing it, I recommend confirming for yourself — including whether surgery is even needed — through examination and consultation, and deciding after that.
04
Questions Come Up on Sundays, Too
Finally, he offered the suggestion that it would be good to be able to consult by text message even on Sundays.
I am reminded once again that the questions of the recovery period come regardless of the day. I take it as a welcome point, and I will review how to strengthen our guidance system. Suggestions like these, one by one, make the next patient's recovery a little easier.
05
An Honest Review Makes for Good Guidance
The words "it was hard" and the words "you just have to follow it" were written side by side on a single review.
I believe this is the most accurate story that those weighing surgery ought to hear. I will guide without exaggeration and watch over the whole course of recovery to the end.
06
- Dr. Kim Seok-won, TRUEMAN Gangnam -
