Truman Customer Story Column
They Said They Wanted to Wear Clothes Comfortably
In the box asking what they most wanted to do after surgery, a person who had gynecomastia surgery in June wrote one short line: "I want to wear clothes comfortably."
People who have lived with gynecomastia for a long time have different criteria for choosing clothes. They avoid thin T-shirts, avoid light colors, choose a size up. Often they cannot even remember when those criteria took hold.
When the Worry Was Not the Surgery but What FollowedWhat this person worried about most before surgery was not the operation but the aftercare and how long it would take. How long it would take and what they would have to do in the meantime did not seem clear to them. Afterward, they wrote that "the clinic kept up continuous care, which made it easy."
Gynecomastia surgery does not end on the day of the operation. The schedule continues through the subsiding of swelling and bruising, wearing the compression garment, checking the state of the wound, and adjusting when activity resumes. Not leaving the patient to judge that process alone is the clinic's job. When we set out concretely what to do next at each follow-up, the vagueness about how long it will take generally recedes.
They Said It Ended Sooner Than ExpectedAs a moment that stayed with them from the surgery, they wrote: "I was surprised it ended sooner than I expected."
Surgical time varies with the amount and distribution of glandular tissue, differences between sides, and skin condition. In this person's case it finished more quickly than expected, but depending on the circumstances more time can be needed. It is more accurate to see the length of the operation as not, in itself, telling you anything about the result.
Of their first visit, they said what stayed with them was the warmth of the explanation. There is no special technique in a consultation; it is a matter of raising, first, the things people find hard to ask.
At the end, this person wrote that life after surgery had become much better. That is the change they felt, and the degree of satisfaction and the course of recovery differ from person to person. There is no operation for which the same result can be promised.
Still, the remark about no longer having to think about it when choosing clothes is one I hear often in the consulting room. Less a large change than the fact of no longer having to spend the small measure of attention you had been spending every day.
If you are facing the same concern, I recommend first confirming through an examination whether your current condition is at a level that calls for surgery. I hope you are wearing the clothes you want, comfortably, this summer.
