Abstract

One positive consequence of the challenge to silicone breast implants has been renewed interest in the psychological dimensions of plastic surgery. When asked questions about the psychological outcomes of women with breast implants, plastic surgery responded with work that is changing the very framework on which concepts such as body image and quality of life are founded. In the course of exploring the psychological impact of breast augmentation, traditional ways of thinking about patient characteristics and motivations have been called into question. There is a new focus on evidence-based outcomes research and an active search for methods that are valid, reliable, and sensitive enough to recognize and measure the emotional impact of changing physical appearance. With more information about psychiatric comorbidities and the identification of variables that influence patients' attitudes, augmentation mammaplasty with implants is better understood. Meanwhile, a new generation of investigators has been stimulated to study and reinterpret the psychodynamics of the aesthetic surgery experience.