Whether or not to see a psychologist or counselor prior to surgery.

[Paa_Paw]

About 5 years ago there was some talk of this and i supported the idea. With some reservations I still think it can be a good idea.

One of the key reasons for this is the fact that reasonable expectations are often key to a successful outcome of surgery. On the down side, most psychologists know little or nothing about surgery and they cannot tell you what to expect.

Most of the Doctors who have a special interest in Gynecomastia Deal with the issues of what to expect quite adequately so there is no real reason to incur the added expense.

Sometimes a good psychologist might be able to convince an insurance company to cover the surgery as a treatment for a depressed person. There are cases where this has worked in the past.

Another instance might be with a person trying to achieve some kind of physical perfection that is unrealistic.

Overall, there are cases where it is of value but it is not generally necessary.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Paa_Paw

You are indeed a wise man.  Could not have said it better myself.

Dr Jacobs

[hammer]

Paa_Paw I have to second the doc!

You make a great point on your second to the last line in your post.  There is no such thing as perfection!  It is those little differences or scares that makes us unique.

[McGilli]

I agree that for some people, speaking to a professional can be helpful. I am currently seeing someone because of anxiety. Of which gynecomastia has been a major factor in my social anxiety.

As an example, when I got to work, I would not leave my cubicle because I knew that going down the hall to the cafeteria, there was always a breeze coming towards you - and that would make my chest more point and pronounced - and so I would avoid places.

But as has been detailed elsewhere on this forum, I realize that the amount of people that would even notice, let alone care, is very minor. That was something that I have gotten from my time with a professional who also had some reconstructive surgery done. So it was nice hearing it from someone who has been in a similar position.

[xelnaga13]

Sending your insurance carrier a letter from a psychologist is a sure fire way to get denied coverage. They will not cover a procedure to alleviate mental pain.

[jazzer]

Excellent idea Paw_Paw.

[jazzer]

Sending your insurance carrier a letter from a psychologist is a sure fire way to get denied coverage. They will not cover a procedure to alleviate mental pain.

I don't know about the States but up here in Canada if the gynecomastia is causing undue stress in one's life it may be covered by our Health care, even though psychological counselling isn't nesessarily. In my case my surgeon submitted the claim and my dual mastectomy was covered. If one has private health care over and above our national plan it may be a little harder to get the procedure covered if rejected by the Province.

[Paa_Paw]

It is impossible to generalize and be correct. There were a couple of cases years ago where the coverage for surgery was initially denied but was approved later with the help of a well worded letter from a Psychologist.

Insurance companies usually have a lot of exclusions in their policies. They are not always your friend in these matters. Fortunately the denial of coverage can be appealed.