Symptomatic Macromastia and Days Lost from Work

To compare the amount of days lost from work by women with symptomatic macromastia while on conservative management and after they undergo breast reduction surgery.

Working women with symptomatic macromastia were requested to record the number of days lost from work as a result of back or neck pain associated with their large breasts during a 6 months period of conservative management required by their health insurance. The conservative management included physical therapy, weight loss and analgesics. A reduction mammoplasty was approved and performed in all the women following the period of conservative management. After the women returned to work, they were again requested to record the number of lost work days associated with back/neck pain during the next 6 months. Basic demographic information was also obtained.

One hundred twenty-three women with symptomatic macromastia participated. The mean age was 31±10, the mean body mass index was 29±4, mean bra size was 38-D, 45% had a college degree or higher, and 90% had full-time employment. The mean number of lost work days was 6±3 with conservative and 1±1 with surgical management in a 6 months period, a difference that was statistically significant (p<0.05). Based on gender-specific median wage rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these lost days represent an economic loss of $1,642 annually per woman in conservative management.

Surgical treatment of breast hypertrophy resulted in significantly less days lost from work. There is a higher cost in loss productivity with conservative management.