title: Aesthetic subunit of the breast: an analysis of women's preference and clinical implications.
abstract: Patient satisfaction in breast surgery is dependent on achieving a balance among all aesthetic subunits. The purpose of this study is to identify which subunit of the breast women consider important and correlate this clinically to improve patient satisfaction following breast surgery. A total of 313 subjects (ages, 20-80) were surveyed using a 25-point survey instrument collected via a telemedicine form. The data was analyzed to determine clinical significance. Of the subjects, 63% selected the upper inner quadrant as the most important subunit. Furthermore, 66% of the subjects indicated defects located in this region would lead them to seek operative intervention and this was consistent for all subgroups. Based on these results, defects in the upper inner quadrant of the breast are more likely to cause patient dissatisfaction. Patient outcomes following surgery can be enhanced by restoring volume and minimizing scars in this upper medial subunit of the breast.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 1801 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
authors.forename: Steven H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saint-Cyr
authors.forename: Georgette
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oni
authors.forename: Munique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Andry
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shirvani
authors.forename: Viet
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Corrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: A Marilyn
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Leitch
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Euhus
authors.forename: Roshni
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Rod
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rohrich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001940:Breast / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000145:classification* / Q000379:methods*; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009558:Nipples / Q000601:surgery; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013781:Texas; D055815:Young Adult