Psychological complications in 281 plastic surgery practices.

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Psychological Complications
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Surgery presents significant stressors with potential physical and psychological consequences.
• Psychological complications can negatively impact recovery, patient compliance, and satisfaction.
• Ineffective management of psychological distress prolongs recuperation and affects patient-surgeon relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of negative psychological outcomes in plastic surgery patients.
• To compare the prevalence of psychological complications with adverse physical outcomes.
• To understand the relative magnitude of perioperative psychological versus physical complications.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, correlational survey was conducted.
• The Plastic Surgery Questionnaire was distributed to 702 randomly selected board-certified plastic surgeons.
• A response rate of 40% (281 surgeons) was achieved, with a reliable study instrument (Cronbach's alpha r = 0.85).

Main Results:

• Psychological complications were found to be more prevalent than physical problems like hematoma or infection.
• High rates of anxiety (95.4%), disappointment (96.8%), depression (95.0%), and sleep disorders (88.5%) were reported.
• Patients with physical complications were more likely to experience psychological ones concurrently; pre-existing conditions increased risk.

Conclusions:

• Psychological complications occur at rates equal to or greater than physical complications in plastic surgery.
• Disappointment, anxiety, and depression are the most frequent psychological issues.
• Further research is needed to identify effective treatments for psychological complications and improve patient emotional outcomes.