One very interesting study conducted among women that underwent breast enlargement surgery was published in May issue of American magazine Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® and it revealed quite concrete and exact evidences about what women can expect from breast enlargement.

Arlington Heights, Illinois. – Study of Dr. Eric Swanson, American plastic surgeon, that covered 225 patients who were interviewed five years after surgery and answered in an anonymous questionnaire questions on recovery, results, complications and psychological effects of breast enlargement. Results of study were published in official magazine of American association for plastic surgery.

Average age of participants was 34 years, and average implant was 390ccm size.

Aesthetic outcome, pains, recovery, complications

Almost all patients who enlarged their breasts, 98% of them, said that aesthetic outcome was on the desired level or it surpassed their expectations!

On the scale of 1 to 10 pain was averagely marked as 5, 9.

They usually took pain killers during first five days and they did not work for seven days. After only 25 days from the surgery they felt “normal”.

85% of patients marked the size of their breasts like “just right”! 13% of them considered that larger implant should have been used, while only 2% of women considered their breasts to be oversized.

More than a half gave mark 10 to their appearance, and almost all (98%) were satisfied with their new appearance.

Increase of self-confidence and other psychological effects:

Almost 40% of patients experienced their nipples to be temporarily numb. Total percentage of complications was 10% and it comprised even the most trivial ones.

92% of women felt self-confidence and self-respect and 64% of them experienced better quality of life.

Before surgery most women (86%) felt insecure in connection to appearance of their breasts, while after the surgery only 13% had that feeling.

American statistics show that breast enlargement is leading among most frequently performed surgeries, with figure of 286.000 per year and in the conclusion of the study its author says that “satisfaction of the patient is the best indicator of surgical success”.

I would have to agree with this, and I think I would need to conduct similar study among our women who undergo the surgery. I also think that results would be similar to those already published, at least when it comes to percentage of satisfied patients.