Ninety-eight percent of women undergoing breast augmentation surgery say the results met or exceeded their expectations, according to a study in the May 2013 issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®.
In the study of 225 consecutive women who returned for interviews at least 1 month after breast augmentation over a 5-year period, women also reported improvements in self-esteem and quality of life after breast augmentation.
On a 10-point scale, women reported an average pain score during recovery of 5.9. On average, they used prescription pain medication for 5 days and were off work 7 days. Patients felt they were “back to normal” about 25 days after surgery, the new study showed.
Eighty-five percent of women rated their new breast size “just right.” Thirteen percent would have preferred a larger size, and less than 2% wished they had chosen a smaller size. Only 1% expressed dissatisfaction with their scars. Seventy-five percent of women rated their breast firmness “just right.” When asked to rate the result, more than half of the patients gave it a perfect 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. Almost all patients (98%) reported that the results met or exceeded their expectations.
Nearly 40% of the patients surveyed experienced at least temporary nipple numbness after surgery. Persistent numbness was reported by only 2% of patients. The complication rate reported by patients was 10%.
When asked about psychological effects, 92% of women reported improved self-esteem after breast augmentation, and 64% reported an improved quality of life. Before surgery, the majority of women (86%) were self-conscious about their breasts. After surgery, only 13% were self-conscious about them.
