What about infection? And what if my chest still looks the same?

The patient I want to introduce today came in carrying both at once. Would he get an infection, and would his chest still look large even after the operation?

The first worry: infection

Infection is a reasonable thing to be concerned about, and that is exactly why we handle it as a matter of procedure. Sterilization and aseptic management in the operating environment, wound care instructions after surgery, and scheduled follow-up checks — there is a defined step for preventing infection at every stage.

Rather than telling a patient his worry will disappear, I explain what we manage and how. It was only after hearing that explanation that this patient made up his mind.

The second worry: the fear that it will still look large afterwards

The fear that the chest will stay the same after surgery grows when you do not know what gynecomastia tissue actually consists of.

In the examination we check the state of the glandular tissue and the fat, and plan what will be excised and to what extent. When that plan is explained in advance during the consultation, a vague anxiety usually turns into a concrete understanding. Surgery you receive without knowing what the result will involve and surgery you receive knowing what is being done are two different things.

Detailed explanation makes worry smaller

He said what stayed with him was being given detailed, considerate guidance in the consultation. The more worried a man is, the more we lengthen the explanation rather than shorten it. That is our approach.

As for the surgery itself, he said nothing in particular stood out in his memory. For a man who came in carrying two separate worries, I cannot think of a better answer.

"Very satisfied so far"

After surgery, he said he wanted to buy lots of different clothes. Clothing ceasing to be a tool for covering the body and becoming a pleasure to choose — in the end, that is the kind of everyday change this surgery brings.

On the final question, asking about his current state, he wrote "very satisfied so far." To men with the same concern, he left the words "definitely give it a try." This was his own experience, and whether to have surgery is something to decide after confirming your own condition through an examination.

Whether it is two worries or ten, the consultation is where they get worked through one at a time. If you are carrying the same concerns, I hope you will bring them out at TRUEMAN Incheon.

- Dr. Kim Sang-kyu, TRUEMAN Incheon -