Satisfaction Outcomes in Women Who “Choose to Go Flat
A new survey published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology, revealed a high level of satisfaction among women who had chosen to ‘go flat’ or opt out of breast reconstruction after breast removal surgery for breast cancer.
The survey was conducted on 931 women with a history of uni- or bilateral mastectomy, either as a treatment for breast cancer or when there was high risk of developing breast cancer, without breast reconstruction. The survey was designed to assess patient motivation and satisfaction after opting to ‘go flat’.
The results of the survey indicate that breast removal surgery alone was the first choice for 73.7% of the participants. The two most common reasons for going flat were the desire for a speedy recovery and wanting to avoid foreign body placement. More than half of the women were found to be satisfied with their choice of not opting for breast reconstruction.
According to this survey, the strongest predictor for satisfaction was low level of surgeon support for the decision to go flat. Dissatisfaction was higher in surveyees who were overweight and those who underwent breast removal surgery on one breast. An overall greater satisfaction was associated with receiving sufficient information of available surgical options and having a surgeon with a specialised breast surgery practice.
Therefore, the findings of this survey suggest that most patients undergoing breast surgery alone are satisfied with their decision to avoid breast reconstruction. Surgeons can help improve patient experience by better understanding patient’s motivation and supporting the patient’s decision to go flat.
References:
Source: Baker, J.L., Dizon, D.S., Wenziger, C.M. et al. “Going Flat” After Mastectomy: Patient-Reported Outcomes by Online Survey. Ann Surg Oncol 28, 2493–2505 (2021).
Source link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1245/s10434-020-09448-9