Monday, October 9, 2006
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PSEF 2006 Scientific Essay Contest D. Ralph Millard, MD Investigator Award: Understanding Motivations for Breast Surgery: A Qualitative Comparison of Augmentation, Reduction, and Reconstruction in Patients

Lisa R. Rubin, PhD, Andrea L. Pusic, MD, MHS, Karen Hurley, PhD, Anne Klassen, PhD, Stefan Cano, PhD, Peter A. Lennox, MD, Nancy Van Laeken, MD, and Peter G. Cordeiro, MD.

The purpose of this study is to examine motivations for, and barriers to, plastic and reconstructive breast surgery among augmentation, reduction, and reconstruction patients through analysis of in-depth patient interviews. We compared and contrasted motivational themes for pursuing surgery type across patient groups. Comparison provides a deeper understanding of each group than can be achieved by studying any one group in isolation. Forty-eight patient interviews were conducted (20 reconstruction, 15 reduction, and 13 augmentation patients) with women who had undergone breast surgery within the past three years. This paper explores three shared themes raised by study participants: (1) seeking surgery to be ordinary, not extraordinary; (2) surgery as a way to improve self-confidence; and (3) dealing with the stigma of plastic surgery. The social and cultural context of women's beauty ideals are addressed, and the importance of decreasing the stigma of cosmetic surger4y is discussed.