Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Apr 3;11(4):e4902.
doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000004902. eCollection 2023 Apr.

Mental Health Conditions and Health-related Quality of Life Changes after Reduction Mammaplasty in Younger Patients

Ava G White  1   2 , Laura C Nuzzi  1   2 , Catherine T McNamara  1   2 , Lisa S Nussbaum  1   2 , Alex T Cappitelli  1   2 , Amy D DiVasta  1   3 , Brian I Labow  1   2
Affiliations

Mental Health Conditions and Health-related Quality of Life Changes after Reduction Mammaplasty in Younger Patients

Ava G White et al. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. .

Abstract

Reduction mammaplasty is increasingly common in younger patients with macromastia. Unfortunately, a recent surge in mental health disorders has been documented in this population. It is unknown how mental health disorders affect patients undergoing reduction mammaplasty. This study examines the impact of concurrent mental health conditions on health-related quality of life outcomes after reduction mammaplasty.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was performed on patients aged 12-21 years undergoing reduction mammaplasty. Patients were assigned to unaffected or affected (baseline mental health condition) cohorts based on psychological history. Patients completed the Short-form-36, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Eating Attitudes Test 26, and Breast-related Symptoms Questionnaire at baseline and postoperatively.

Results: A total of 250 patients were included (81 affected and 169 unaffected). Mean age at surgery was 17.9 ± 2.0 and 18.1 ± 1.8 years for affected and unaffected patients, respectively. Anxiety (n = 59, 23.6%) and depression (n = 38, 15.2%) were the most prevalent conditions. Affected patients were outscored by controls at baseline and postoperatively in most measures. However, significant score improvements were also reported in the affected cohort. In fact, the magnitude of score improvements observed in both cohorts were similar (P > 0.05, all).

Conclusions: Baseline mental health conditions are common in young patients presenting for reduction mammaplasty. After surgery, health-related quality of life in affected patients remains below unaffected peers; however, significant and similar gains are achieved. We advise providers to recommend mental health treatment to affected patients, but not preclude otherwise appropriate candidates from surgery.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article. This work was supported in part by the Plastic Surgery Foundation (grant no.: 192776; July 2011). The Plastic Surgery Foundation had no involvement in the study design; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; the writing of this article; or the decision to submit this article for publication.Disclosure statements are at the end of this article, following the correspondence information.

References

    1. Behmand RA, Tang DH, Smith DJ, Jr. Outcomes in breast reduction surgery. Ann Plast Surg. 2000;45:575–580. - PubMed
    1. Cerrato F, Webb ML, Rosen H, et al. . The impact of macromastia on adolescents: a cross-sectional study. Pediatrics. 2012;130:e339–e346. - PubMed
    1. Mello AA, Domingos NA, Miyazaki MC. Improvement in quality of life and self-esteem after breast reduction surgery. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2010;34:59–64. - PubMed
    1. Thoma A, Sprague S, Veltri K, et al. . A prospective study of patients undergoing breast reduction surgery: health-related quality of life and clinical outcomes. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2007;120:13–26. - PubMed
    1. Evans GR, Ryan JJ. Reduction mammaplasty for the teenage patient: a critical analysis. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 1994;18:291–297. - PubMed