Physical and psychosocial symptoms among 88 volunteer subjects compared with patients seeking plastic surgery procedures to the breast

In an investigation of the relationship between macro-mastia and physical a nd psychosocial symptoms, 88 female university students, 21 augmentation ma mmaplasty patients, and 31 breast reduction patients graded somatic and psy chosocial symptoms. The intent of the study was to discover which complaint s were most common among women presenting for reduction mammaplasty and to determine whether height/weight index and brassiere chest measurement and c up size might affect their symptoms. Both the student group and the augment ation mammaplasty patients differed significantly from the breast I-eductio n patients. Eighty-one percent of the reduction patients complained of neck and back pain. Seventy-seven percent complained of shoulder pain, 58 perce nt complained of chafing or rash; 45 percent reported significant limitatio n in their activity; and 52 percent were unhappy with their appearance (p < 0.001 compared with augmentation and student groups). Physical symptoms we re I-elated to height/weight index and bra chest and cup sizes in each of t he three participating groups. It was found that patients who present for s ymptom-related reduction mammaplasty have a disease-specific group of physi cal and psychosocial complaints that are more directly related to large bre ast size than to being overweight.