Mental Health Outcomes in Adolescents/Young Adults Following Reduction Mammaplasty: A Systematic Review and...

Macromastia causes significant physical and psychological distress in adolescents. Although reduction mammaplasty alleviates these symptoms, the mental health impact of macromastia in younger populations remains underexplored. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate mental health and quality of life outcomes in adolescents/young women undergoing reduction mammaplasty.

A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted from inception to September 2024. Studies reporting mental health or quality of life outcomes through the BREAST-Q, Short Form-36, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Eating Attitudes Test were included. Odds ratios and mean difference with 95% confidence intervals were pooled using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed with I ² statistics. The Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions tool was used to assess study quality. Meta-analysis was performed on 4 BREAST-Q domains.

Of 701 articles identified, 8 observational studies involving 660 patients were included. Pooled BREAST-Q scores postsurgery showed significant improvements across all 4 domains. Improvement in Short Form-36, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Eating Attitudes Test scores was noted in individual studies, though meta-analysis was limited by incomplete data.

These results indicate that reduction mammaplasty significantly improves the physical, psychosocial, and sexual well-being of adolescents/young women with macromastia.