Patient Reported Outcome Measures After Breast Augmentation – Using the BREAST-Q IS

Abstract

Purpose

Cosmetic breast augmentation procedures are commonly performed breast device surgeries. The Australian Breast Device Registry (ABDR) administers a five-question patient reported outcome measure (PROM), the BREAST-Q Implant Surveillance module (BREAST-Q IS), to patients 1, 2 and 5 years after breast device surgery. The measure includes an open-ended question to add any comments. This study aimed to use the responses to this open-ended question to assess participants’ experiences of breast devices 1 and 2 years after breast augmentation. The secondary objective was to identify emerging and important issues relating to breast augmentation and devices.

Patients and Methods

This qualitative descriptive study was conducted using a randomly selected sample of 268 responses to the open-ended question in the BREAST-Q IS, from the ABDR database. These responses were from patients who underwent breast augmentation between 2015 and 2018. Comments were analyzed using conventional content analysis in NVivo 12.

Results

Four major themes were identified: satisfaction following breast augmentation, dissatisfaction following breast augmentation, complications and breast symptoms following breast augmentation and other comments. Two dominant themes were regarding satisfaction (n = 112) with overall surgical outcome, medical team, and post-operative appearance and complications and breast symptoms (n = 177) following breast augmentation. Emerging issues identified were rippling of breast implants and breast implant illness (BII).

Conclusion

PROMs can be used to understand patients’ perspectives on various aspects of their own surgical experiences. Participants provided responses regarding complications and breast symptoms experienced, and rippling of the breast implants and BII are emerging issues after breast augmentation.

Keywords:

• patient reported outcome measures
• breast augmentation
• Breast-Q Implant Surveillance
• breast device surgery
• Australian Breast Device Registry

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the participants who provided answers to the questions of the PROM as well as the ABDR staff who assisted with data extraction.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, where that was in relation to the concept (IH), design (IH, RR, PG), execution (IH, RJ), acquisition of the data (PG), analysis (RJ) and interpretation, or in all other areas including drafting (RJ), writing (RJ), revising (IH, RR, PG, EE) or critically reviewing this manuscript (IH, RR, PG, EE). All authors have agreed on the journal to while the article will be submitted; any significant changes made at the proofing stage and agreed on all versions of the manuscript before submission. All authors agreed to take responsibility and accountability for the contents on the manuscript, in accordance with the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors authorship guidelines.

Disclosure

The authors declared no potential conflict of interest with respect to research, authorship and publications of this article.

Additional information

Funding

The Australian Breast Device Registry is funded by the Australian Department of Health.