Measuring patient-based outcomes in a plastic surgery service: breast reduction surgical patients.

On admission for breast reduction surgery, 110 patients completed a preoperative assessment pack containing: 1) Personal and demographic questions; 2) Condition-specific questions including physical symptoms and areas of life affected by their condition; 3) The SF-36 Health Survey Questionnaire; and 4) The Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. At 3 months and again at 6 months after surgery, these same patients were sent postal follow-up packs containing the SF-36 and Rosenberg questionnaires and postoperative condition-specific questions requesting information on complications, relief of physical symptoms, scarring, pain and opinion of the aesthetic result. The response rate was 82% (90 patients) at 3 months and 76% (84 patients) at 6 months. The results of the data collected indicate that breast reduction surgery confers very substantial benefit to patients in terms of greatly improved physical and psychological health and well-being.