Truman Customer Story Column
"The Thought That My Chest Would Be Gone Took Away My Fear"
Some people come in for gynecomastia while they are students. When I hear how they got through PE class, school trips, and public baths, the stories are mostly similar. Most are about avoiding places where you change clothes.
The person I am introducing today was also a student. As their biggest worry before surgery, they wrote this: "The cost of surgery (because I'm a student)"
Why Cost Gets Asked FirstGynecomastia surgery is covered by national health insurance. After confirming your condition through an examination, we determine whether it meets the criteria, and if it does, it proceeds under national health insurance.
The single line saying they were worried because they are a student carries the meaning that there was one more reason to put it off. In cases like this, I do not rush the decision; I only go as far as explaining what the current condition is and what options there are.
Words That the Fear DisappearedFor how they felt when they first came to the clinic, they wrote this: "I was a little scared, but the thought that my chest would be gone took away my fear"
It is a sentence that places being scared of surgery side by side with continuing to live in the current condition. That is usually also the point where the decision is made in gynecomastia consultations. People set a date not because their fear of surgery has shrunk, but when living in the current condition has become the heavier side.
What Happens on the Day of SurgeryOur gynecomastia surgery is performed under sedation. The surgery begins after you fall asleep, 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. When you come to the clinic the next day, we check for any bleeding and then remove that additional compression.
For what they most wanted to do after surgery, they wrote this: "I want to have a drink."
It is better to avoid alcohol during the recovery period. Alcohol dilates blood vessels and can increase bleeding or swelling, and it also overlaps with the period when you have to live in the compression garment. We will advise you on when it is okay while watching your progress. We set the timing for upper-body exercise in the same way.
Words to Start with a ConsultationThe words they left for others with the same concern were these. It was to not overthink it and start by getting a consultation.
These are words spoken from this person's own experience. Gynecomastia varies in degree and form from person to person, so you can make your judgment after confirming your condition through an examination. In the last box, they wrote their thanks.
