Truman Customer Story Column
To the man who hesitated because he was born with it
The reasons men hesitate before surgery differ. Some are afraid of pain, some are worried about scarring.
This patient's hesitation was a little different. Cost was part of it, but what really weighed on him was the idea of "removing by surgery something I was born with." The thought of taking away, on an operating table, a part of a body he had inherited felt strangely heavy to him.
I meet this feeling often. And each time, I say the same thing. Today I want to write that down.
Being born with it and having to live with it are two different things
타고났다는 것과 안고 살아야 한다는 것은 다릅니다
Gynecomastia is not something that occurs through any fault of your own. Constitution and hormones play a large part, and as in his case there is often a hereditary background.
And it is precisely because of that background that some men feel a psychological burden — "this is my body as it was made, so should I really be touching it?" He felt that way too.
In the consultation I showed him his condition accurately and explained, point by point, what would be removed and how, and why that would not place a strain on his body. Being born with something and having to carry it for life are separate matters. He said the explanation took much of the worry away, and the surgery went well.
As for the cost, he asked whether it could be claimed on private indemnity health insurance in Korea. That depends on the policy held and the reimbursement conditions, so it is not something that can be stated categorically. The accurate route is to check your own policy terms and go over them together in a consultation, based on the diagnosis and documentation.
On it being easier because the staff were all men
When I asked about his first impression of the clinic, he wrote this.
"The nurses, the consulting staff and the doctors were all men, so it felt less daunting, and everyone was kind."
Worries about the chest take real courage to show anyone. If being in front of other men lowers that threshold even a little, I regard it as a basic thing for us to provide.
He also said the things I said during his care stayed with him. I do not recall saying anything special. But the more worried a man is, the more slowly and precisely I try to explain.
His next goal is getting in shape
For what he most wanted to do after surgery, he named losing weight and looking after his body.
A man who used to turn away from his body because of his chest has now turned toward taking care of it. I consider that change as meaningful as the surgical result. Where a complex used to be, this kind of motivation usually moves in.
When I asked what he would say to men with the same concern, he wrote one sentence.
"Hesitating only delays things."
Of course this came out of his own experience. Whether surgery is needed, and whether now is the right time, are matters to judge after confirming your own condition through an examination. But if you have been carrying this heavily and alone for a long time, you can start simply by setting that worry down in a consultation room.
TRUEMAN Incheon will be there.
- Dr. Kim Sang-kyu, TRUEMAN Incheon -
