Patients' health related quality of life before and after aesthetic surgery.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the health related quality of life of patients before and after aesthetic surgery.

DESIGN

A survey by questionnaire of patients before receiving surgery and 6 months after surgery.

SAMPLE

656 patients anticipating surgery were sent a preoperative questionnaire, to which 443 replied. Subsequently 259 of these received a postoperative questionnaire, of which 198 were returned.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Health status was assessed using three standardised health status instruments (The Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale. Comparisons were made between the health status of the plastic surgery patients and that of a random sample of the general population.

RESULTS

Patients receiving breast reduction surgery experienced significant improvements on all three health status measures. Patients in all surgical groups experienced significant improvements in self-esteem.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients receiving aesthetic surgery experience a wide range of physical, psychological and social problems. Surgery was shown be effective at addressing these problems. Health status assessment provides a valid and independent method for measuring the effects of such health care interventions.