The Second Decision Is Heavier Than the First

Deciding on a first surgery takes great courage too. But the heart of someone looking into surgery again because the result didn't satisfy them is several times heavier. Because they've been through it once, the fear is more concrete, and the thought "what if it's no good this time either" holds their steps back.

Today is the story of a man who came having decided on a revision surgery because he was dissatisfied with the shape and form of his chest.

Why a doctor grows more cautious before a revision

The first thing I do in a revision consultation is not to evaluate the previous surgery. It's to confirm what state this patient's chest is in now, what condition the tissue and skin are in, and exactly where the point of his dissatisfaction lies.

Tissue that has been through surgery once is in a different condition than at first. So a revision can't help but demand more caution at the planning stage, and I try to show that caution through explanation. Telling you in advance what can be improved and to what extent, and which parts may have limits.

Because the worry was great, I checked recovery more often

This patient's biggest worry, too, was "will it go well without problems this time." After surgery, he went through the recovery process without particular problems. Of course this is his course, and the pace and pattern of recovery differ from person to person. But the greater the worry, as with a revision, the more it's our way to look at the course more often and confirm it together.

I don't think surgery is the end. If anything, I believe one must manage things more closely from right after surgery than before, so I watch the course through long-term follow-up. Giving the trust that whenever something happens, consulting resolves it is especially important for someone who has decided on a revision.

He was someone who needed detailed explanation

About the consultation and examination process, this patient wrote that it was very kind and the explanation was detailed. In fact, for those looking into a revision, detailed explanation is, before kindness, essential. I tell them to ask everything this time—the parts they didn't get to hear last time, the parts they were curious about but couldn't ask.

I also know it's not content you can fully grasp from a single explanation. So even if you ask the same question again, I explain it anew as if for the first time. I think our explanation is not a procedure to obtain a signature on a consent form, but a conversation carried on until the tension eases.

"The cost wasn't a waste"

After finishing surgery, this patient left the reflection that the cost wasn't a waste, and about the result he wrote, "I'm fully satisfied."

This satisfaction is his experience. Whether a revision is needed, and how much room for improvement there is, differs from person to person, so it's best judged after confirming your own state through an examination.