Plastic surgeons are widely known for their high standards, but are they more critical of surgical results than the patients who have to live with them? A recent breast reduction study in the August issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery says yes. The results offer an interesting glimpse into the different priorities of plastic surgeons and their breast reduction patients.
The study examined 125 women who had undergone breast reduction surgery in Denmark. They consistently rated their results higher than the surgeons. After six months, nearly 90 percent of the women rated their outcomes is good or very good. After a year, this proportion decreased to roughly 80 percent.
Surgeons were less satisfied than their patients, however, as they rated the results as good or very good in roughly 75 percent of cases. The study also showed that plastic surgeons had different priorities when it came to the results. Immediately after the procedure, the patients were most concerned about asymmetry between the breasts, while surgeons were more critical of the appearance of scarring. Over time, the breast reduction patients also became more concerned about scarring.
The surgeons were also critical of technical details, such as the position of the nipple and shape of the breast. Achieving positive results in all of these different areas of breast reduction surgery is a mark of an excellent surgeon.
There were also significant differences between how different breast reduction patients viewed their surgeries. The study found that older women tended to be more critical than younger women. As well, women who experienced complications after their surgery were more likely to rate their results as unacceptable.
Interestingly, information in confidence played an important role in producing better outcomes for breast reduction surgery. Women who had more information and greater confidence before the procedure tended to achieve better outcomes. The Danish authors conclude that “one must not underestimate the importance of factors like preoperative information about the surgery and complications, together with proper and qualified care.”
