Breast surgery 'improves psychological wellbeing'

20/12/2007

It is important for surgeons to not only focus on how the results of cosmetic surgery will look for a patient, but also the quality of life they will have, it has been claimed.

The Aesthetic Surgery Journal has announced that surgical treatment for disproportionate sized breasts can not only lead to an improvement in the patients appearance but also have a positive effect on their state of mind.

A study in Brazil recently found that when monitoring 35 patients who had breast augmentation to correct the symmetry of their breasts, psychological improvement post-op was observed in all.

Foad Nahai, MD, president of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and associate editor of the journal, remarked: "The results of such surgery go far beyond the aesthetics, more importantly improving the self-esteem and quality of life of these patients."

According to the journal, a large number of women suffer from the condition and women with perfectly symmetrical breasts are in the minority.

Between 2003 and 2005 there was a 150 per cent increase in the number of breast augmentation operations performed in the UK, according to a Mintel survey.

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