Truman Customer Story Column
"A Really Embarrassing Feeling"
The box asking how it was when you first came to the clinic usually comes back with comments about the facilities or how people were treated. The person I am introducing today wrote about their own feelings.
"A really embarrassing feeling"
The Place Where You First Bring It UpAmong those who come in for gynecomastia, many are telling someone about this for the first time. They spend years without mentioning it even to family, and say it out loud for the first time in the consultation room.
So at the first examination, the order comes before the explanation. I tell you in advance what we will check, when you will need to undress, and how long it will take. We never ask you to undress without warning. How briefly and plainly that moment passes keeps affecting the schedule that follows.
The Worry About RecurrenceAs their biggest worry before surgery, they wrote this: "Worried it might come back"
Gynecomastia surgery is a treatment that removes enlarged glandular tissue. The removed tissue itself does not grow back, but if some tissue is left and there is a large weight gain or a factor that affects hormones, the chest area can look prominent again.
That is why I tell people that weight management is needed even after surgery. If this part is left out of the consultation and only the result is discussed, it causes trouble for both sides later.
Words That They Fell Asleep and Don't RememberWhen I asked about a memorable moment during surgery, they wrote briefly: "I fell asleep from the anesthesia, so I don't remember."
Our gynecomastia surgery is performed under sedation, and the surgery itself is over in about thirty minutes. I explain the results in the recovery room after the surgery is finished.
The 12 to 48 hours right after surgery are a period with a risk of bleeding, so you spend that time with additional compression over the compression garment, and the next day, after we check at the clinic for any bleeding, we remove that compression.
For what they most wanted to do after surgery, they wrote this: "I want to work out properly and build a nice chest."
The surgery goes only as far as dealing with the glandular tissue. What kind of body to build on top of that is now up to you, and it is also a way to reduce recurrence. We decide when to resume upper-body exercise while watching your progress.
To others with the same concern, they left words to the effect that starting is the hard part, but once you do it, things change. This is this person's experience, and whether to have surgery is something to judge after confirming your condition through an examination.
The request they wrote in the last box was about aftercare. We will look at that together each time you come in.
