Patient Satisfaction and Body Image Following Mastectomy, Breast-Conserving Therapy, and Mastectomy With Reconstruction: A Study in Iran

Background: Breast cancer is considered a chronic disease owing to theincreases in survival rate. Thus, better body image and patient satisfaction with thesurgery have become more important factors to be considered when choosing thesurgical approach. The aim of this study was to compare body image and patientsatisfaction following three different approaches. Methods: We evaluated ۱۸۳ consecutive patients who had undergone threedifferent surgeries including breast-conserving surgery (BCS), mastectomy, ormastectomy followed by reconstruction (M-R). Body image was evaluated usingthe BICI questionnaire, and patient satisfaction was rated using a multiple-choicequestion and a scale ranging from ۱ to ۱۰.Results: A significantly better body image was observed in the M-R and BCSgroups compared with mastectomy (P = ۰.۰۲). In body image subscale analysis,social functioning scores were higher in the M-R and BCS groups than in themastectomy group (P = ۰.۰۱), but no differences were obtained between surgerygroups in appearance dissatisfaction subscale. Patients were more satisfied withBCS than the other two surgeries (P = ۰.۰۰۸).Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it could be proposed that bothoncoplastic BCS and implant reconstruction could provide patients with acceptablebody image, while BCS could bring about better satisfaction with the surgery.Reconstruction may be an alternative for the patients to improve body image andsatisfaction when BCS is not applicable.

Keywords:

Breast cancer , satisfaction , body image , breast- conserving surgery , reconstruction