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range of cosmetic surgeries: on a scale of one (“extremely dissatisfied”) to five (extremely satisfied), 87 per cent of participants described themselves as “extremely satisfied”. The same study also found that participants reported significant improvement in the degree 1 Mulkens S, Bos AER, Uleman R et al. (2012) Psychopathology symptoms in a sample of female cosmetic surgery patients Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery 65(3): 321-7. 2 Psillakis JM, Facchina PH, Kharmandayan P et al. (2010) Review of 1,447 breast augmentation patients using PERTHESE silicone implants Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 34(1): 11-5. 4 of satisfaction with the specific body feature altered by cosmetic surgery.3 In addition, a 2007 survey by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons indicated that 80 per cent of respondents reported being very satisfied or satisfied with their elective cosmetic surgery experience: only four per cent of respondents reported that they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.4 Satisfaction rates have also been found to be high among young people who have undergone unspecified cosmetic procedures. For example, a Turkish study of 86 adolescents found participant satisfaction rate to be at 93 per cent.5 In addition, low levels of regret were identified by Norwegian researchers who found that, of 130 female recipients of various forms of cosmetic surgery, 93 per cent disagreed in part or completely with the comment that they regretted having undergone surgery.6 A small-scale Chinese study of 12 young women (age 15-25) who had undergone cosmetic procedure in part to “fulfil their parents’ wishes” also raises an interesting observation on how satisfaction might be perceived by recipients of cosmetic procedures. The researchers observed that “our participants continued to deny any experience of post-surgery pain; even though one of our participants had experienced a leg breaking operation and [had] been bed-ridden for six months.” They suggest that participants’ denial of any post-surgery pain “may lie in the pleasure that the participants perceived they experienced after their operations from their parents and wider Chinese society. None of the participants reported any regret, instead describing their experiences in terms of transforming their lives… opportunities, enhancing their sense of face, and the happiness and joy they brought to their parents.” They further cite the comment of one participant that “I can find good work after graduation and my parents will be satisfied with my excellent performance. They will be proud of me.” This small study highlights that satisfaction may be a rather nebulous concept for some participants: physical discomfort, for some, might be a small price to play for perceived social acceptance.7 Breast procedures Several studies highlight levels of satisfaction among recipients of breast procedures (reconstruction, reduction, and augmentation). 3 Sarwer DB, Wadden TA, and Whitaker LA (2002) An investigation of changes in body image following cosmetic surgery Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 109(1): 363-9. However, 21% of women who answered the first questionnaire did not answer the second, which may have influenced the final results of this study. 4 Cited in Adams J (2010) Motivational narratives and assessments of the body after cosmetic surgery Qualitative Health Research 20(6): 755-67; ASPS survey no longer available online; no information about sample size available. 5 Kamburoğlu HO, and Özgür F (2007) Postoperative satisfaction and the patient’s body image, life satisfaction, and self-esteem: a retrospective study comparing adolescent girls and boys after cosmetic surgery Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 31(6): 739-45. 6 von Soest T, Kvalem IL, Skolleborg KC, and Roald HE (2011) Psychosocial changes after cosmetic surgery: a 5-year follow-up study Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 128(3): 765-72. 7 Lindridge AM, and Wang C (2008) Saving “face” in China: modernization, parental pressure, and plastic surgery Journal of Consumer Behaviour 7(6): 496-508. 5 Reconstruction The literature exploring satisfaction levels among participants who have received a reconstructive breast procedure includes a Turkish study of 577 women who had a mixture of three different breast operations following breast cancer found that satisfaction levels varied according to the type of operation the women had undergone. Participants were asked “how satisfied are you with the cosmetic result of your operation?” In this study, 121 women underwent breast reconstruction following mastectomy; 97 of these women (80%) stated that they were ‘very much’ or ‘moderately’ satisfied with the cosmetic outcome.8 Very high levels of satisfaction are also indicated by a Finnish study involving 115 reconstruction recipients found that 94 per cent of participants indicated good or very good outcomes. Similarly, the same study also found that 59 per cent of reconstruction recipients felt that the outcome of the operation was better or much better than they had expected.9 A Canadian study of 206 breast reconstruction patients also found that 88 per cent stated that they were satisfied with the outcome of the procedure. Of the 12 per cent who were dissatisfied with the procedure in this study, the author observes that they had experienced many more complications than those who
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