A Franco-British patients' and partners' satisfaction audit of breast reconstruction.

Abstract

To compare French and British patients' and partners' satisfaction with breast reconstruction after mastectomy and determine what factors affect it. The study analysed validated questionnaires from 182 pairs (the woman and her partner), split equally between France and the UK. The patients underwent breast surgery at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) and at the Hôpital Saint-Louis in Paris, France. All main surgical procedures were considered. Participants were satisfied with the outcome but satisfaction levels differed between France and the UK, British patients reporting higher satisfaction (P=0.029) because of a closer match between their expectation and the outcome. There were also statistically significant differences in: There was no difference in satisfaction levels between patients and partners who accurately reported on patients' views and whose own views matched patients'. Satisfaction was correlated to the level of information, pain management, recovery time, technique used, cosmetic results, intervention timing, but not to the independent assessment of the outcome.