When it comes to breast reduction, augmentation or reconstruction procedures, there’s quite a gap between a good surgical experience and a great surgical experience.

There’s no such thing as a “fun” surgery, of course, but a group of researchers from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center say they have narrowed the differences down to six factors crucial to patient satisfaction with their breast surgery experience.

The study, which surveyed 48 breast surgery patients, was published in the journal BMC Women’s Health. The authors found that the survey subjects’ satisfaction with their surgery experience could be characterized by:

• satisfaction with their breasts
• satisfaction with the overall outcome
• psychosocial well-being
• sexual well-being
• and physical well-being

In addition to quantifying patients’ satisfaction within the study group, the research team developed The BREAST-Q, a meticulously detailed questionnaire designed to qualitatively measure patient perceptions following breast surgery.

Researchers believe The BREAST-Q will complement current clinical outcome measurements and provide surgeons with an important metric for documenting clinical performance appraisals, as well as advance advocacy and insurance coverage efforts.