The female breasts .. more or less
The female breasts .. more or less
Our studies were performed to gain more insight in patients and lay perspective regarding breast appearance and to learn more about their attitudes and views on breast surgery. We aimed to obtain knowledge on how breast appearance may be altered by surgery and how the result may be influenced by variations in surgical technique. We concluded that two techniques for reduction mammaplasty both result in high patient satisfaction and stable aesthetic outcome on the long-term. We found that increased improvement of symmetry through bilateral breast surgery can be expected when preoperative asymmetries are more pronounced.
With the Pythagorean Theorem method we proposed an easy applicable system for accurate determination of the right incision location in breast augmentation by inframammary approach. We found that lay observers are better capable in identifying the correct breast implant shape from postoperative photographs than surgeons. Breasts with anatomical implants were rated to be significantly more natural and attractive by both lay participants and surgeons. We found that patients prefer a larger breast size than lay people and prefer significantly larger breast sizes than plastic surgeons. Increased patient age and BMI were predictors for large breast size preference while higher educated patients preferred smaller breasts.
Overall, men rated larger breasts significantly more attractive than women did. It is important for professionals to be aware of societal ideals and preferential differences in order to better understand patients’ wishes and adequately consult patients in order to achieve the best results.