title: Measuring patient-based outcomes in a plastic surgery service: breast reduction surgical patients.
abstract: On admission for breast reduction surgery, 110 patients completed a preoperative assessment pack containing: 1) Personal and demographic questions; 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 and again at 6 months after surgery, these same patients were sent postal follow-up packs containing the SF-36 and Rosenberg questionnaires and postoperative condition-specific questions requesting information on complications, relief of physical symptoms, scarring, pain and opinion 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 collected indicate that breast reduction surgery confers very substantial benefit to patients in terms of greatly improved physical and psychological health and well-being.
authors.affiliation: Laing Laboratory for Plastic Surgery and Burn Research, Salisbury District Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shakespeare
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Cole
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome