Truman Customer Story Column
He worried more about recurrence than about the surgery
"Even if the surgery goes well, what if it develops again later?"
It is a question I hear often in the consultation room. A patient who had surgery with us recently wrote the same thing in his review: he was more worried about recurrence than about the operation itself.
Today I would like to follow his review and answer that concern as his surgeon.
01
Does gynecomastia come back?
Does gynecomastia come back?
Let me be straightforward. Gynecomastia surgery removes the glandular tissue that causes the chest to protrude. Because the causative tissue itself is removed, it is uncommon for the same tissue to simply regrow in the treated area. That said, the course can differ from person to person depending on the condition of the remaining tissue, weight changes, hormonal factors, and other variables.
For that reason, rather than declaring at the consultation that "there is nothing to worry about," we explain in concrete terms which tissue is removed and how much, and what needs to be managed after surgery. Worry grows when it stays vague, and it shrinks once you understand the mechanism.
Once he heard the explanation, the worry turned into confidence
02
After the explanation, worry turned into satisfaction
This patient went through that process as well. About the explanation he received at his first visit, he wrote:
After the explanation
"They explained everything so kindly that I felt satisfied I was being treated by professionals."
For someone who came in worried about recurrence to leave reassured after an explanation — for us, there is no better feedback than that.
As the anesthesia wore off, it hurt far less than he expected
03
As the anaesthesia wore off, he was surprised it hurt less than expected
When I asked which moment of the process stayed with him, he answered:
"When the anesthesia wore off after surgery, the pain was not as bad as I had expected, and that surprise is what I remember."
Of course, this was his experience, and how much pain a person feels differs from individual to individual. Still, it is true that many patients are surprised to feel less pain during recovery than they had imagined before surgery. A great deal of fear simply comes from a lack of information.
Now he can exercise, and dress, without embarrassment
04
Now, training and clothes without embarrassment
When asked what he wanted to do after surgery, he named exercise and clothing — doing both without embarrassment, without minding how others might look at him. What gynecomastia surgery changes is the shape of the chest, but what patients actually regain is this kind of everyday freedom.
His closing words to others with the same concern stayed with me:
"Even if you don't have the surgery, I'd recommend at least getting a consultation."
This too came out of his own experience, and whether surgery is needed is something to decide after confirming your own condition through an examination. If you have been putting things off because you are worried about recurrence, I would encourage you to start by examining that worry together with us. This was this patient's outcome; results and recovery vary from person to person.
- Dr. Shim Young-jin, TRUEMAN Myeongdong -
This too came out of his own experience, and whether surgery is needed is something to decide after confirming your own condition through an examination. If you have been putting things off because you are worried about recurrence, I would encourage you to start by examining that worry together with us. This was this patient's outcome; results and recovery vary from person to person.
- Dr. Shim Young-jin, TRUEMAN Myeongdong -
