EDIT: Please note, the study period has now ended and the link to the Breast Q form has been deactivated. If you would like to complete the Breast Q, please contact us by email.
As most people reading this will know, a large part of my practice is dedicated to helping ladies who are experiencing complications or health issues relating to their breast implants. Unfortunately, much of what we do in this space is lacking a solid evidence base, and to be fair, some of the the techniques I use have never been properly described and certainly the outcomes of those techniques have never been mentioned. It is also true to say that what other surgeons do is often dictated by the way they were taught without ever having been subjected to much intellectual rigor.
So, over the next few weeks, patients who have had explant procedures with me, and who are more than 6 months post-op, may see an email pop into their inbox from us. In some cases, it could be a few years since surgery, so apologies if it feels a little out of the blue.
The reason we are contacting patients is to ask for your help in a wee little research project.
One of the challenges for patients considering explant surgery is that the way that plastic surgeons view the procedures, and in particular the way they view capsulectomy, has resulted in very little real data being available to guide surgeons toward different procedures or treatment options. It also means, we don't know how we should be advising patients because we don't have sufficient information to support the superiority of one approach over another.
I am very open about the fact that I think capsulectomy (more specifically, total capsulectomy) is an essential part of the procedure, not only to achieve the best functional outcomes, but also to achieve the best cosmetic outcomes. For most surgeons out there, any form of capsulectomy will mean that they use surgical drains, often for 3-5 days (or even more). I don't use drains, and I think that largely that comes down to the techniques we employ in the explant procedure.
Our techniques allow us to take a unique approach to explant procedures, and I think it would also be extremely valuable to understand the outcomes of explant (using those techniques) from a patient perspective, especially with a view to understanding whether we are setting expectations correctly and if there is anything we can be doing better.
So if you see an email arrive, we would love to hear from you. There are 5 quick questions, and the option to leave us some honest feedback, as well as the option to arrange another appointment with me (by telehealth for anyone interstate) to discuss anything at all. As I say in the email, I know that surveys aren't for everyone, but there is no other way for us to understand your perspective.
If you are reading this, and you haven't received the email yet, you can also follow this link to complete the questionnaire.
For everyone who opts to reply, thank you. We really appreciate your time.
ACL