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Even If You Don't Have Surgery, at Least Confirm
Even If You Don't Have Surgery, at Least Confirm
Among the reviews left by patients who had surgery, there was a sentence more striking than any recommendation to have the surgery.
When I asked for a word to others with the same worry, this patient wrote: "Even if you don't have the surgery, your stress will be less."
It's not saying to have the surgery. It's saying that once you receive a consultation and diagnosis and know your own state accurately, whether you do it or not, you can escape the vague stress. I think this sentence pinpoints precisely the essence of the gynecomastia worry. Today I share the story of the man who left this sentence.
The worry about whether daily life would be affected
What this patient worried about most before surgery was whether his activities would be affected.
He said that for a day or two after surgery there was, in fact, some discomfort. And he added this: "I'm relieved my recovery was faster than I expected." This is limited to his course of recovery, and the pace of recovery varies with each person's condition and management. Still, the gap between what one worried about and what one actually experienced is a part many people describe similarly.
There is a reason the first day or two is uncomfortable. For 12 to 48 hours right after surgery there is a risk of bleeding, so we add compression over the garment. Because the chest and abdomen are tightened twice over, it's admittedly uncomfortable. When you come in the next day and we check for bleeding and remove the extra compression, it becomes much more comfortable, and from then on there's no great strain in working life.
A clinic with only male staff
When I asked about the feeling of his first visit, this patient answered that it was comfortable because there were only male staff, and that the atmosphere was bright and kind.
Some people put off the consultation itself because it's uncomfortable to bring up a chest worry in front of female staff. The reason we maintain a male-only structure is precisely to lower that first threshold.
When I hear such words about the atmosphere, I'm always grateful to the staff. We've resolved to approach every surgery with the heart that "a member of our own family is having surgery," and we regularly train on kindness and on thinking from the patient's point of view. I think hearing such praise now and then is the result of that effort accumulating little by little.
"It ended in the blink of an eye"
When I asked what was most memorable about the surgery, he answered: "It was great that the surgery ended in the literal blink of an eye."
In the mind, surgery is always pictured as a long and heavy affair. The real time is often shorter than that, and that difference often becomes the shared reflection of those who've finished surgery.
Our surgery is done under local anesthesia, and the actual time it takes is about thirty minutes. Through years of surgical know-how, I've shortened the time considerably. Finishing quickly isn't the goal in itself; it's that the shorter the operation, the safer for the patient.
Swimming, running, weights
In the box asking what he wanted to do after surgery, swimming, running, and weights were written side by side. Most things involving the body made the list, which also means there were that many activities he'd put off because of his chest.
Confirmation comes first
Let me return to the first sentence. Even without surgery, just knowing your own state reduces stress. Whether to have surgery is something you can decide next, after seeing the examination results—it's not too late.
To this patient who left a note of thanks, we send the same feeling in return.
If you're someone holding it in alone, I hope you'll come and start with a conversation. No clinic can be perfect for every patient, but we strive to leave nothing wanting for each and every one. I hope you won't be afraid and will visit with ease.