"Going Flat" After Mastectomy: Patient-Reported Outcomes by Online Survey.
BACKGROUND: The Going Flat movement aims to increase awareness and acceptance of mastectomy alone as a viable option for patients. Little is known about motivations and satisfaction with surgical outcomes in this population. METHODS: An online survey was administered to 931 women who had a history of uni- or bilateral mastectomy for treatment of breast cancer or elevated breast cancer risk without current breast mound reconstruction. Satisfaction with outcome and surgeon support for the patient experience were characterized using 5-level scaled scores. RESULTS: Mastectomy alone was the first choice for 73.7% of the respondents. The top two reasons for going flat were desire for a faster recovery and avoidance of a foreign body placement. Overall, the mean scaled satisfaction score was 3.72 ± 1.17 out of 5. In the multivariable analysis, low level of surgeon support for the decision to go flat was the strongest predictor of a satisfaction score lower than 3 (odds ratio [OR], 3.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.59-5.72; p < 0.001). Dissatisfaction also was more likely among respondents reporting a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or higher (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 1.76-4.27; p < 0.001) and those undergoing a unilateral procedure (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.29-3.09; p = 0.002). Greater satisfaction was associated with receiving adequate information about surgical options (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.32-0.69; p < 0.0001) and having a surgeon with a specialized breast surgery practice (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.38-0.81; p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Most patients undergoing mastectomy alone are satisfied with their surgical outcome. Surgeons may optimize patient experience by recognizing and supporting a patient's decision to go flat.
Duke Scholars
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Related Subject Headings
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Patient Satisfaction
- Patient Reported Outcome Measures
- Oncology & Carcinogenesis
- Mastectomy
- Mammaplasty
- Humans
- Female
- Breast Neoplasms
- 3211 Oncology and carcinogenesis
Citation
Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Patient Satisfaction
- Patient Reported Outcome Measures
- Oncology & Carcinogenesis
- Mastectomy
- Mammaplasty
- Humans
- Female
- Breast Neoplasms
- 3211 Oncology and carcinogenesis