Validated Survey Tools for Pre-operative Psychological Assessment in Plastic Surgery.

Area of Science:

• Plastic and reconstructive surgery
• Psychological assessment

Background:

• Psychological assessment in plastic surgery is increasingly recognized.
• Surgeons face challenges integrating psychological evaluations due to time and knowledge gaps.
• Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) like BREAST-Q, FACE-Q, and BODY-Q are vital for assessing quality of life and satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the importance of preoperative psychological screening in plastic and reconstructive surgery.
• To address the challenges surgeons face in implementing psychological assessments.
• To emphasize the role of validated psychological tools in enhancing patient care.

Main Methods:

• Review of current practices and guidelines in psychological assessment for plastic surgery.
• Discussion of the utility of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
• Examination of prevalence rates of psychological disorders in cosmetic surgery patients.

Main Results:

• High rates of psychological disorders are observed in cosmetic surgery patients.
• Guidelines from organizations like the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommend preoperative screening for conditions such as body dysmorphic disorder.
• Validated psychological tools can effectively assess patient quality of life and satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative psychological screening is essential for holistic patient care in plastic and reconstructive surgery.
• Increased awareness and use of validated psychological tools can overcome implementation challenges.
• Integrating psychological assessments improves outcomes and patient satisfaction.