Truman Customer Story Column
"Don't worry." That one sentence is what he remembers.
When I read through patient reviews, I often find that what stays with a patient most deeply is not the surgery itself.
That was true of a review left by a patient who had surgery with us not long ago. What he remembered was not the time on the operating table, but the person who stayed beside him during a difficult moment right after the procedure. Today I would like to talk about that, and to be candid about it.
What worried him most was the shape
01
His biggest worry was that the shape would look odd
Before surgery, what concerned this patient most was neither pain nor cost. It was the shape. He worried that once the glandular and fatty tissue was removed, the contour might end up looking unnatural instead.
In his review, he wrote:
The moment he remembers from right after surgery
"At first I was worried that my chest would look strange after the surgery, but once the surgery was over and time passed, I liked the shape, and the worry went away."
Gynecomastia surgery is not simply about reducing chest volume as much as possible. It is a procedure carried out with the chest contour that will remain afterward in mind. The concern this patient raised is, in fact, what we weigh most heavily when planning an operation.
02
Right after surgery, the moment dizziness sat him down
Right after surgery, the moment he felt faint and had to sit down
There is one part I want to describe honestly. Right after surgery, this patient felt the compression strongly, found it hard to breathe, and became lightheaded enough that he had to sit down for a moment.
Immediately after surgery, wearing the compression garment and waking from anesthesia overlap, and some patients can feel dizzy the moment they stand up. One of our staff members went straight to him and helped him settle, and this is how he remembered that moment:
"Don't worry."
03
Trust that began at the consultation and held past surgery
He wrote in his review that in a moment that could have been unsettling, those words and the immediate response became a source of trust instead. To keep such moments from repeating, we explain in advance how to stand up and sit down right after surgery, and how to adjust the compression garment. Rather than claiming that there are no difficult moments at all, I believe what matters more is how those moments are handled.
Trust that began at the consultation and continued after surgery
This patient wrote that the kind, detailed explanation at his first consultation gave him confidence, and that he appreciated the continued care he received after surgery as well.
Surgery takes a day, but recovery unfolds over several weeks. Making sure a patient does not feel alone during that period is something we consider just as important as surgical skill.
04
Now, he said, he wants to build the body he wants through training
Now he wants to build the body he has in mind
When I asked what he wanted to do after surgery, he said he wanted to work out and build a body he could be proud of. A goal he had put off because of his chest was finally something he could begin.
To others facing the same concern, he added that he hoped they would resolve the worry through surgery and leave no regret behind. Of course, this was one patient's own experience; results and recovery vary from person to person. What comes first is an examination to confirm what your condition actually is and whether surgery is appropriate, and only then a decision.
The more worries you carry, the more I would encourage you to begin with a consultation. We will go through each of those worries with you, one at a time. And we will answer with care that stays with you through the difficult moments as well.
- Dr. Shim Young-jin, TRUEMAN Myeongdong -
The more worries you carry, the more I would encourage you to begin with a consultation. We will go through each of those worries with you, one at a time. And we will answer with care that stays with you through the difficult moments as well.
- Dr. Shim Young-jin, TRUEMAN Myeongdong -
