Breast Augmentation Shown To Positively Affect Quality Of Life

Breast enhancement using implants (breast augmentation) is the most commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedure in the US

. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, nearly 290,000 breast augmentations were performed by board-certified plastic surgeons in this country last year. This represents a 300% increase over the last decade. This increase in the numbers of breast augmentations has come during a time when breast implant usage has been under close examination. The FDA has mandated that implant manufacturers collect specific and ongoing data regarding the safety and efficacy of breast implants. There are now numerous reports in the literature as to the safety of breast implantsboth the saline breast implant and the newest generation of silicone breast implants (the form-stable or "gummy bear" implant).

Data regarding the efficacy of breast enhancement using implants has remained more elusive, however. Every experienced plastic surgeon will say that the vast majority of women who undergo breast augmentation are extremely happy with the results, would do it again, and would recommend that family or friends have the procedure as well. But this is apocryphal, not scientific, data. Previous studies attempting to demonstrate efficacy have either been retrospective or have been hampered by the lack of an appropriate tool to define and measure the effects on quality of life. However in 2009, researchers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada developed a sophisticated questionnaire (named BREAST-Q) which could reliably identify and quantify these life effects from the patient's perspective.

Now, in the most recent issue of the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, these same researchers have used this questionnaire to provide long-sought scientific data on the efficacy of breast augmentation. In this prospective study, women were given the BREAST-Q questionnaire to determine and quantify the effects of breast augmentation on specific aspects of quality of life from their point of view. The questionnaire was administered preoperatively and then again at least 2 months post-operatively. The study concluded that "cosmetic breast augmentation can have a significant and profound positive impact on a woman's satisfaction with her breasts and her psychosocial and sexual well-being". This is the first study to show scientifically and conclusively that cosmetic breast augmentation provides important and positive life changes in those who undergo the operation.

In today's era of evidence-based medicine, this is indeed a landmark study. Patients now can go forward with breast augmentation and have even more confidence in their choice.

by: James Smith

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