Truman Customer Story Column
"I Think I'll Have to Wait and See the Result"
This is the sentence written in the box for their biggest worry by someone who had gynecomastia surgery in July: "The result looks uneven, so I am a bit worried, but I was told it is because of the swelling, so I think I'll have to wait and see."
It is an answer that shows plainly that the review was written midway through recovery. There is more to explain in an answer like this than in a review that simply says the writer is satisfied.
A Period When the Two Sides Look DifferentRight after surgery, the chest is in a state where tissue has been removed, with swelling and bruising laid on top. Swelling does not go down at the same pace on both sides. The amount of glandular tissue already differs between left and right, the amount removed differs accordingly, and even the side you sleep on and how the compression garment presses all have an effect.
So for several weeks after surgery there is a period when the two sides look different. That is why I ask people not to judge the result by the shape at this stage. It takes more time for the swelling to go down and for the remaining skin to settle to the reduced volume.
Waiting and seeing, however, does not mean simply waiting. At each follow-up check we look at whether the difference between the sides is narrowing and whether one side has some other cause. If a difference cannot be explained by swelling, I tell you about it separately at that time.
At the follow-up two weeks after surgery, this person had slightly more swelling remaining on the right side and spent time with a pad in place. When they came back in weeks three and four and we checked, the difference between the sides had narrowed, and they were also satisfied with the changed shape. How quickly swelling goes down and when the shape settles differ from person to person, so I cannot promise the same course.
"I Fell Asleep Right After the Anesthesia"About a memorable moment during surgery, this person wrote: "I fell asleep right after the anesthesia, so I don't remember anything."
Surgery is performed under sedation. Because I enter the operating room after the anesthesiology team has checked your condition and the anesthesia has been given, patients' memories usually break off just before anesthesia and resume in the recovery room. Explanations before surgery are given in the consultation room, and we talk about the result after you wake up. As their impression on first coming to the clinic, they wrote that it was clean and kind.
National Health Insurance Coverage Is Decided by ExaminationThe words this person left for others with the same concern came with one condition: "I recommend doing it, as long as insurance covers it."
Gynecomastia is a treatment covered by national health insurance when it meets the diagnostic criteria. Whether coverage applies is decided after the condition and grade of the glandular tissue are confirmed through examination and ultrasound. It is not something that can be confirmed in advance over the phone, so in consultation we first explain the order of the tests and the criteria for the decision. This is their experience, and whether your condition needs surgery is also something to judge after it is confirmed at the same visit.
For what they wanted to do after surgery, they wrote that they think they will not feel embarrassed taking off their top in front of friends. Right now is the period of watching, and once that period passes, we can talk again at that point.
