Personal Factors that Affect the Satisfaction of Female Patients Undergoing Esthetic Suture after Typical Thyroidectomy.
10.5999/aps.2013.40.4.414
- Author:
Hyo Young KIM
1
;
Jung Won KIM
;
Jin Hyung PARK
;
Jung Hun KIM
;
Yea Sik HAN
Author Information
1. Department of Plastic Surgery, Kosin University Gospel Hospital, Kosin University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea. Hanplastic1@naver.com
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Personal satisfaction;
Esthetics;
Surgery, plastic
- MeSH:
Cicatrix;
Cicatrix, Hypertrophic;
Esthetics;
Female;
Humans;
Patient Satisfaction;
Personal Satisfaction;
Pruritus;
Recognition (Psychology);
Surgery, Plastic;
Sutures;
Thyroidectomy;
Wound Healing
- From:Archives of Plastic Surgery
2013;40(4):414-424
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: In esthetic surgery, understanding the factors that influence patient satisfaction is important for successful practice. We hypothesize that the factors that influence patient satisfaction include not only aesthetic and functional outcomes, but also personal factors such as the level of familiarity with factors affecting wound healing and expectations regarding aesthetic outcome. METHODS: One hundred patients who underwent esthetic closure after thyroidectomy were included in this study. In order to evaluate the individual characteristics of the patients, a preoperative survey was administered to the patients. We estimated the patient satisfaction six months postoperatively and assessed the aesthetic and functional outcomes using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale. RESULTS: According to the results of correlation analysis, level of familiarity with wound healing factors had a positive correlation with satisfaction. High expectations, pain, itching, and high observer scale score had negative correlations with satisfaction. The factors that were correlated with satisfaction were included in the multiple regression analysis. Level of familiarity with wound healing factors was found to have a positive relationship with satisfaction, while itching and observer scale were found to have a negative relationship with satisfaction. After excluding 10 patients who had hypertrophic scars, only level of familiarity with wound healing factors and expectations affected satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The level of familiarity with factors affecting wound healing and expectations were found to independently affect satisfaction. Improving patients' level of familiarity with wound healing factors and reducing their expectations by providing suitable preoperative education has the potential to improve patient satisfaction.
