Truman Customer Story Column
I Think I'll Feel Less Stress When Getting Dressed
Asked what worried them most while considering surgery, this person wrote: "My chest sticking out was the biggest stress, so I didn't really worry about the rest." Everything else, in other words, left little room for deliberation.
Practicing in this field, I meet people like this from time to time. Not because surgery is not frightening, but because continuing in the present state is harder.
Saying It Was Comfortable Because the Staff Were MaleFor what stayed with them from the first visit, they wrote: "They gave a kind, thorough consultation, and it was comfortable because the staff were male."
It is something we hear often. A gynecomastia consultation necessarily includes undressing and showing the chest. It is the first time in years that a concealed part is shown to another person, so who is present is no small matter to the patient. For some, that one factor is enough to keep them from opening the door.
On the Fear Just Before SurgeryAsked about their memory of the surgery, they wrote that they felt somewhat afraid right before it, but that after anesthesia the surgery was over, so that was the extent of it.
Many people say the moment just before entering the operating room is the most nerve-racking. The longer that stretch, the greater the anxiety, so we complete the pre-operative explanation and preparation beforehand in the consulting and counseling rooms. In the operating room, the anesthesiologist is beside the patient, and as the operating surgeon I enter after anesthesia is given. Results are given after the surgery ends.
For what they wanted to do after surgery and what would change, this person wrote: "Exercise (the gym); it's good that I think I'll feel less stress when getting dressed."
The closets of people with gynecomastia usually have rules. No thin T-shirts, no light colors, and certainly nothing fitted. The few minutes spent choosing clothes in the morning become a daily stress. Those rules disappearing one at a time is what actually changes after surgery.
Rather than resuming exercise immediately, we advise building up in stages. The surgical site needs time to stabilize, and that timing differs with the amount of tissue removed and the state of recovery. It is more accurate to confirm it at a visit, against your own schedule.
To Those Facing the Same ConcernFinally, asked for a word to others with the same concern, this person answered to the effect that they would recommend the surgery.
That is the personal experience of someone who had it, and whether surgery is needed is something to decide after confirming your condition through an examination. Gynecomastia varies in degree and in how the glandular tissue has developed, so the same answer does not fit everyone.
I hope your mornings choosing clothes have become a little simpler.
