V. Shakespeare et Rp. Cole, MEASURING PATIENT-BASED OUTCOMES IN A PLASTIC-SURGERY SERVICE - BREAST REDUCTION SURGICAL PATIENTS, British Journal of Plastic Surgery, 50(4), 1997, pp. 242-248
On admission for boast reduction surgery, 110 patients completed a pre
operative assessment pack containing: 1) Personal and demographic ques
tions; 2) Condition-specific questions including physical symptoms and
areas of life affected by their condition; 3) The SF-36 Health Survey
Questionnaire; and 4) The Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. At 3 months an
d again at 6 months after surgery, these same patients were sent posta
l follow-up packs containing the SF-36 and Rosenberg questionnaires an
d postoperative condition-specific questions requesting information on
complications, relief of physical symptoms, scarring, pain and opinio
n of the aesthetic result. The response rate was 82% (90 patients) at
3 months and 76% (84 patients) at 6 months. The results of the data co
llected indicate that breast reduction surgery confers very substantia
l benefit to patients in terms of greatly improved physical and psycho
logical health and well-being.