Delay of professional activity recovery after implant based breast augmentation surgery: Influence of healthcare coverage

Aim of the study. - The main goal is to determine if the delay before going back to work after implant-based breast augmentation surgery is influenced by the healthcare coverage criteria. Means and methods. - In this retrospective, single center based study, patients who underwent implant-based breast augmentation surgery (excluding reconstructive surgery) in the past 3 years with a minimum follow-up of 1 month were questioned by telephone. Patients who had early postoperative complications, or no professional activity, were excluded. The demographic and perioperative data were collected and two groups were compared: those who were covered by the healthcare system and those who were not. Results. - Sixty patients were included. The two groups were comparable concerning the demographic (age, BMI, children, work intensity, smoking status, comorbidity) and surgical data (surgical approach, type, volume and position of the implant, operative time and drainage). There was a significant difference between the groups concerning the delay of return to work (P = 0.0001): 18.4 days for reimbursed patients versus 9.45 days for patients without healthcare coverage. Conclusion. - For the same implant-based breast augmentation surgery, and for the same population, the duration of postoperative recovery period doubles for the patients for whom surgery is reimbursed by the healthcare system. (C) 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.