1. Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder: Factors Influencing Disparity in Perceptions of Breast Reconstruction Aesthetic Outcomes
- Author
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Shannon S. Wu, Eliana F. R. Duraes, Isis Scomacao, Megan Morisada, Risal S. Djohan, Steven L. Bernard, Andrea Moreira, and Graham S. Schwarz
- Subjects
Esthetics ,Patient Satisfaction ,Mammaplasty ,Quality of Life ,Humans ,Surgery ,Breast Neoplasms ,Female ,Patient Reported Outcome Measures ,Transplantation, Autologous - Abstract
Patient-reported outcomes are the primary measurement of breast reconstruction success, but results may be affected by nontechnical factors such as socioemotional determinants. Third-party observers provide an independent assessment of aesthetic outcomes. Factors associated with disparity between patient and observer perceptions of outcomes are not well understood.One hundred forty-seven patients underwent breast reconstruction at the authors' institution between 2009 and 2011, completed the BREAST-Q, and had photographs graded by a diverse panel using the Validated Breast Aesthetic Scale. Patient satisfaction with breasts scores that aligned with observer scores were categorized as group 2; patient satisfaction that exceeded observer scores were group 1; and those lower than observer scores were group 3. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, with values of p0.05 considered statistically significant.Twenty-eight patients (19 percent) were categorized as group 1, 93 (63 percent) in group 2, and 26 (18 percent) in group 3. Median overall appearance was highest in group 3 (median, 4.0; interquartile range, 4 to 4) and lowest in group 1 (median, 3.0; interquartile range, 2 to 3) ( p0.001). Psychosocial, sexual, and physical well-being were significantly associated with disparity (group 1 or 3 status) ( p0.01). Satisfaction with outcomes, nipples, abdomen, and breasts were significantly associated with disparity. Factors not significantly associated with disparity include age, body mass index, autologous or implant-based, adjuvant therapies, and timing of reconstruction.Incongruously high patient satisfaction with breast reconstruction aesthetics relative to third-party perception of aesthetic outcomes is associated with high quality-of-life scores. Incongruously low patient satisfaction with breast cosmesis compared with higher third-party perceptions was associated with low quality-of-life scores.Risk, II.
- Published
- 2022