KNOWLEDGE, CONCERN, AND SATISFACTION AMONG AUGMENTATION MAMMAPLASTY PATIENTS

Eighty-five patients with augmentation mammaplasty were surveyed. Patients were polled about knowledge of risks, level of concern, awareness of media publicity, incidence of complications, and degree of satisfaction with breast implants. Sixty-one percent of the patients were satisfied or very satisfied with implants, whereas 32% were somewhat or very unsatisfied. Level of satisfaction was not related to knowledge of risks, but did correlate with having experienced side effects or complications. Virtually all patients were aware of recent media publicity about implants, and 90% of women perceived the publicity to be negative. Seventy-five percent of the patients expressed concern about implant safety. Even after exposure to negative publicity, however, <10% of those surveyed regret having had the surgery and only 6% indicated they would like their implants removed. Overall, patients with augmentation mammaplasty perceive the benefits of implants greatly outweigh the risks.