MONDAY, Nov. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Women who undergo breast-reduction surgery before age 25 experience excellent breast-related quality of life decades after surgery, according to a study published in the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Kate B. Krucoff, M.D., from the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, and colleagues retrospectively identified female patients <25 years of age who underwent reduction mammaplasty performed by a single surgeon from 1980 to 2003 (median age at surgery, 21 years). Thirty-seven of 52 eligible participants completed the postoperative version of the BREAST-Q Reduction module.
The researchers found that after a median follow-up of 21.4 years, overall, participants demonstrated high satisfaction and well-being. Compared with normative values for women never having breast surgery, mean Q-Scores for Satisfaction with Breasts and Sexual Well-Being were significantly higher for women who underwent breast reduction at a young age. The average score for satisfaction with breasts was 66.6 for women who underwent breast reduction versus 57 in the normative group. The average scores for sexual well-being were 72 for those who underwent breast reduction and 55 for the normative group, respectively.
“Surgeons and third-party payers should be aware of these data and advocate for young patients to gain access to care,” the authors write.
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