“Going Flat” After Mastectomy: Patient-Reported Outcomes by Online Survey

• Published in: Annals of surgical oncology Vol. 28; no. 5; pp. 2493 - 2505
• Main Authors: Baker, Jennifer L., Dizon, Don S., Wenziger, Cachet M., Streja, Elani, Thompson, Carlie K., Lee, Minna K., DiNome, Maggie L., Attai, Deanna J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.05.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Body mass index; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - surgery; Breast surgery; Female; Global Health Services Research; Humans; Mammaplasty; Mastectomy; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Oncology; Patient Reported Outcome Measures; Patient Satisfaction; Patients; Surgeons; Surgery; Surgical Oncology; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1068-9265; 1534-4681
• DOI: 10.1245/s10434-020-09448-9

Background The Going Flat movement aims to increase awareness and acceptance of mastectomy alone as a viable option for patients. Little is known about motivations and satisfaction with surgical outcomes in this population. Methods An online survey was administered to 931 women who had a history of uni- or bilateral mastectomy for treatment of breast cancer or elevated breast cancer risk without current breast mound reconstruction. Satisfaction with outcome and surgeon support for the patient experience were characterized using 5-level scaled scores. Results Mastectomy alone was the first choice for 73.7% of the respondents. The top two reasons for going flat were desire for a faster recovery and avoidance of a foreign body placement. Overall, the mean scaled satisfaction score was 3.72 ± 1.17 out of 5. In the multivariable analysis, low level of surgeon support for the decision to go flat was the strongest predictor of a satisfaction score lower than 3 (odds ratio [OR], 3.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.59–5.72; p  < 0.001). Dissatisfaction also was more likely among respondents reporting a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m 2 or higher (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 1.76–4.27; p  < 0.001) and those undergoing a unilateral procedure (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.29–3.09; p  = 0.002). Greater satisfaction was associated with receiving adequate information about surgical options (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.32–0.69; p  < 0.0001) and having a surgeon with a specialized breast surgery practice (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.38–0.81; p  = 0.002). Conclusions Most patients undergoing mastectomy alone are satisfied with their surgical outcome. Surgeons may optimize patient experience by recognizing and supporting a patient’s decision to go flat.