Patient Satisfaction After Breast Surgery

What You Need to Know About Breast Surgery Satisfaction

Breast surgery, be it for reconstruction or augmentation, is an intensely personal decision that can have significant implications on both physical appearance and mental well-being. Many factors contribute to a patient’s satisfaction with their results, but it is essential to understand that satisfaction levels can change over time, especially as their body naturally evolves. Not all breast surgeries are created equal. Dr. Effie Politis of Politis Plastic Surgery in Tampa, FL speaks about the current state of patient satisfaction research in breast surgery to help you make informed decisions about your own surgery journey.

The Importance of Patient-Reported Outcome Studies

Recent research predominantly focuses on patient-reported outcome studies. These studies gather data from different centers and give a comprehensive overview of the satisfaction levels experienced by patients. Dr. Effie Politis emphasizes their importance, saying, “these are very important for us to be aware of, to be able to educate the patients.” Keeping abreast of these studies allows prospective patients to make informed decisions about what type of surgery they should choose.

Autologous vs. Implant-Based Reconstruction Satisfaction Rates

Two main types of breast reconstruction are autologous reconstruction, which uses your own tissue, and implant-based reconstruction. According to the recent studies mentioned by Dr. Politis, satisfaction rates differ for each technique, especially in the initial stages. With direct implant reconstruction, younger patients report high satisfaction rates of 80 to 90% within the first ten years. However, it is important to note that revision surgery may be required over time, as “their body will change just like anything, its skin, it stretches…”

Autologous reconstruction, on the other hand, has a lower initial satisfaction rate due to the longer recovery time. Despite this, patients generally become happier with the results over time because the reconstruction is based on their tissue and does not require as many revisions as implant-based reconstruction.

Choosing the Right Option for You

Understanding the differences in satisfaction rates between autologous and implant-based reconstruction is essential in helping you make the best decision for your body and your future self. While the satisfaction rates may initially be higher for implant-based reconstruction, be prepared for potential revision surgeries as your body changes over time. On the other hand, autologous reconstruction may have a lower initial satisfaction rate, but patients tend to be happier in the long run, as it is less likely to require revisions.

Finding the Right Plastic Surgeon in Tampa, FL

Ultimately, the success of any breast surgery largely depends on the skill and expertise of the plastic surgeon you choose to work with. Dr. Effie Politis and her clinic, Politis Plastic Surgery in Tampa, FL, provide high-quality care and thorough consultation to ensure their patients receive the best possible results.

By choosing Politis Plastic Surgery and working with an experienced plastic surgeon like Dr. Effie Politis, you have access to the most up-to-date research and patient-reported outcomes to make informed decisions about your breast surgery journey. Trust that Dr. Politis will help guide you through the process, and together, you can achieve the results you desire.

References:

• “Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction | Mount Sinai – New York.” https://www.mountsinai.org/locations/west/care/surgery/breast-reconstruction/implant-based-reconstruction.
• “Autologous or “Flap” Reconstruction – Breast Cancer.org.” https://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/breast-reconstruction/types/autologous-flap.
• “Autologous versus Prosthetic Breast Reconstruction – News Medical.” https://www.news-medical.net/health/Autologous-versus-Prosthetic-Breast-Reconstruction.aspx.
  

Transcription:

Hi, my name is Dr. Effie Politis with Politis Plastic Surgery.
Yeah, so there’s actually been a lot of studies and data that have recently been published.
So they studied the younger age group cohort of patients and older patients and they’ve studied autologous versus implant-based reconstruction, so using their own tissue versus implants. And a lot of the studies we’re doing now are level three for evidence, which means they’re meta-analysis, multiple centers, and they are grouped in something called patient-reported outcome studies. And these are very important for us to be aware of, to be able to educate the patients. So we want to tell them that with implant-based surgeries in the younger cohort, they will likely, even if we get everything perfect the first shot, do a direct implant reconstruction, the patient studies show that they have a high 80 to 90% satisfaction rate within the first 10 years, but again, their body will change just like anything, its skin, it stretches, they will require revision surgery, okay? With autologous reconstruction, actually the satisfaction rate is much lower initially because of the long recovery time.
This is a little bit different subset of patients though, but then over time, typically they are very happy with it because it’s their own tissue and it really isn’t implant-based or it doesn’t require much revisions.