Patient-reported outcomes following breast reconstruction surgery in a public hospital: use of the Breast-Q questionnaire.

AIM To assess patients' quality of life and satisfaction with individual outcomes following breast reconstructive surgery, using the BREAST-Q questionnaire. METHODS The BREAST-Q questionnaire was used to collect information on patients' satisfaction in various domains following breast reconstructive surgery. The questionnaire answers were entered into the Qscore Excel template. Scores for each domain were obtained and different comparison groups were analysed for statistical significance. RESULTS Overall, patients showed above average satisfaction in majority of the domains. No statistically significant difference in satisfaction was seen with breast or overall outcome when compared by type or timing of reconstruction; presence or absence of significant complication; and completed or ongoing surgery. However, some difference in satisfaction with medical and office staff by ethnicity was evident, with Europeans being more satisfied than Maori or other ethnicities. CONCLUSION The BREAST-Q questionnaire is a valuable tool to provide patient satisfaction information on breast reconstruction. Our retrospective audit shows that our patients are currently satisfied with their breast and outcomes overall. We will now use this tool prospectively to assess our patients' progress and satisfaction, and improve our service delivery for our future patients.