According to a study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, ninety-eight percent of women undergoing breast augmentation surgery say the results met or exceeded their expectations.
The women surveyed in the study also reported improvements in self-esteem and quality of life after breast augmentation.
“So many patients tell me that their breast augmentations have changed their lives for the better,” says Dr. Robert Wilke, a board certified plastic surgeon at Edina Plastic Surgery. “For many women it improves their confidence and makes them feel much more comfortable to wear all types of clothing. Breast augmentation is the most common procedure that we perform. We do see an increased demand in the springtime, however, as people are thinking about shedding the winter clothes and getting ready for swimsuit season.”
225 consecutive women who returned for interviews at least one month after breast augmentation over a five-year period were interviewed for this study. Interviews included questions about the recovery, results, complications and psychological effects.
The average patient age was 34 years old, and the majority of women received saline-filled breast implants placed under the muscle. The average implant volume was 390cc.
Eighty-five percent of women rated their new breast size “just right.” Thirteen percent would have preferred a larger size and less than two percent a smaller size. Only one percent expressed dissatisfaction with their scars, which were usually located in the crease under the breast. Seventy-five percent of women rated their breast firmness “just right.” When asked to rate the result, over half of the patients gave it a perfect 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. Almost all patients (98 percent) reported that the results met or exceeded their expectations.
Increased Self-Esteem and Other Psychological Benefits.
When asked about psychological effects, 92 percent of women reported improved self-esteem after breast augmentation and 64 percent reported an improved quality of life. Before surgery, the majority of women (86 percent) were self-conscious about their breasts. After surgery, only 13 percent were self-conscious about them.
Breast augmentation is the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure in the United States-approximately 286,000 operations were performed in 2014, according to ASPS statistics. The study results provide new information for women considering breast augmentation, particularly in terms of their expectations of the recovery and results.
