Patient satisfaction with reduction mammaplasty: an early survey

There is an abundant volume of literature available on the varying techniques of reduction mammaplasty, possible complications, and long-term evaluations from the surgeon's perspective. However, there is very little to be found on the patient's perspective and personal experience with this procedure during the perioperative and early postoperative period. This article deliberately concentrates on patients' experiences and impressions during the first and second postoperative months. A prospective study was undertaken to look at patients' personal experiences and satisfaction with different aspects of their reduction mammaplasty and their overall satisfaction with the procedure. Thirty-one consecutive patients were recruited during a six-month period and evaluated one month postoperatively. Twenty-seven of these patients were evaluated again two months postoperatively. The overall satisfaction rate was high: 80.6% for the one-month survey group and 88.9% for the two-month survey group. There was a high incidence of minor complications (38%) and a significant number of the patients (32.3% of the one-month survey group and 33.3% of the two-month survey group) felt the need for more preoperative discussion.