Summary
Abdominoplasty is one of the few cosmetic procedures performed in the UK on the National
Health Service (NHS). In the current climate of tight resource rationing many primary
care trusts (PCTs) are refusing to fund such operations, resulting in a number being
carried out in the independent sector. There are very few studies in the literature
on patient satisfaction following abdominoplasty, with none from the UK. Our study
aimed to look at the patient satisfaction rate following abdominoplasty in the NHS
and study further the areas of dissatisfaction. A questionnaire survey was sent to
153 patients who underwent the procedure over a 5-year period. Replies were received
from 118 (78%) patients, revealing a 77% satisfaction rate amongst responders. Further
analysis of the dissatisfied patients revealed particular dissatisfaction with dog-ears,
residual abdominal overhang and issues relating to the scar. The dissatisfied group
was exclusively female from across the age spectrum, although analysis showed an increase
in dissatisfaction with time, with the highest levels seen at 4–6 years post-abdominoplasty.
This study has identified a number of areas of patient dissatisfaction, even in carefully
selected patients.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 05, 2006
Accepted:
May 31,
2006
Received:
February 1,
2006
Identification
Copyright
© 2006 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
