Thank You for Operating on Me, Doctor

The last thing a patient usually hears in the operating room, just before anesthesia begins, is a short word from the anesthesiologist. You must be nervous. Breathe easily. You can go to sleep now. The next memory is the recovery room. When I asked this patient what he remembered from the surgery, his answer was one line: "I fell asleep immediately, so there is no moment I remember." It sounds like a dull answer, but I consider it a rather good one. It means the anesthesia went in gently and his body was never startled during the procedure. When there is no memory of the surgery, only the memory of recovery remains.

What worried him most beforehand was neither pain nor scarring, but whether his insurance claim would be paid. And at the time he wrote his feedback, he answered honestly that it was still in progress and he wasn't sure. On this point, I should be equally honest. Whether a claim is paid is ultimately assessed and decided by the insurer, and it is not something a clinic can guarantee. What we can do, however, is clear: assemble the diagnostic basis, the operative record and the test results in the complete form required for a claim. Making sure the grounds are accurately documented is our part of the job, and his paperwork was prepared that way. I'm waiting, as he is, for it to be resolved.

His first impression of the clinic was a clean environment and a friendly consultation. To men with the same concern, he left a note to the effect that if their case qualifies for coverage, they should go ahead and be seen. In fact, quite a few men learn only at the consultation that gynecomastia is a medical condition rather than a cosmetic complaint, and that depending on the diagnosis it may be covered — for those enrolled in Korea's national health insurance — as a treatable disease. For anyone who has been putting it off over cost, I agree with him that the first step is simply to find out where your own condition stands.

His plan after surgery is to train hard. We'll set the timing for resuming exercise together at follow-up, in line with how his recovery progresses, so there is no need to rush. The workouts he has postponed aren't going anywhere.

At the very end of the sheet he had written a greeting: "Thank you for operating on me, Doctor." That is a thank-you I should be giving him. Thank you for trusting me with your body. Once the insurance matter is tied up as well, I expect he'll be able to say, with a smile, that this was a good decision in every respect.

This was this patient's outcome; results and recovery vary from person to person.

- Dr. Jeon Jin-woo, TRUEMAN Gangnam -