"When I Saw the Photo of What Was Removed"

Many people come believing their protruding chest is due to their weight. But when they see what was removed, a white, firm mass comes out along with it. That is the glandular tissue. Fat decreases with exercise and diet, but glandular tissue does not. That is why only the chest shape stayed the same despite years of exercise.

Gynecomastia is divided into a fatty type, a glandular type, and a mixed form of the two. The surgical plan differs depending on which predominates, so we first check the ratio by ultrasound before surgery. The types cannot be told apart by visible size alone. Whether national health insurance applies is also judged after this check.

There is one more reason for showing the removed tissue. While swelling remains during recovery, it is hard to gauge for yourself what has changed from before surgery. Having seen with your own eyes how much was removed makes that period easier to get through.

What they wrote as their worry before surgery was pain, and they said they actually barely felt any. That was their case. Pain differs greatly with the extent of removal, the firmness of the tissue, and individual sensitivity. The typical course is that the day of surgery and the next day are the most uncomfortable and it eases over the following several days, but some people are left with a pulling sensation for a few more days.

About the clinic's atmosphere, they wrote a single word: cozy. For people coming to a clinic for gynecomastia for the first time, that one word matters as much as the examination itself.

When I asked what they wanted to do once the surgery was over, they wrote two words.

"Water park"

Places where you have to take off your top are where people with gynecomastia have stayed away for years. To go again, you need to confirm at an appointment when the wound has healed and water activities are possible. It depends on the state of the wound, but it is not something to schedule right after surgery.

To others with the same concern, they left just a few words.

"Do it quickly."

They said this about the result they received themselves. Depending on the grade and type of tissue, gynecomastia divides into cases where surgery is appropriate and cases where it is fine to monitor the course, so which applies can be decided after checking at an examination.

Next summer, they can simply set their plans first.