Breast augmentation surgery using an inframammary fold incision in Southeast Asian women: Patient-reported outcomes

BACKGROUND: This analysis presents patient-reported outcomes of breast augmentation procedures performed in Singapore using an inframammary fold incision and the “5 Ps” best practice principles for breast augmentation. These data are the first of their kind in Southeast Asian patients. METHODS: Through a retrospective chart review, patients who underwent primary breast augmentation with anatomical form-stable silicone gel breast implants using an inframammary fold incision were followed for ≥6 months postoperatively. The BREAST-Q Augmentation Module (scores standardized to 0 [worst] – 100 [best]) and Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS; 1 [normal skin] to 10 [worst scar imaginable]) were administered. Responses were summarized using descriptive statistics. Patient-reported events were collected. RESULTS: Twenty-two Southeast Asian patients (mean age, 35.1 years) completed ≥1 postoperative BREAST-Q and POSAS assessment and were assessed 11 months to 5.5 years postoperatively. The mean postoperative BREAST-Q satisfaction with breasts and psychosocial well-being scores were 69.2 and 84.0, respectively. The mean POSAS score for their overall opinion of the scar was 4.2; the mean scores for all scar characteristics ranged from 1.2 to 4.2. Over 90% of patients (20/22) said that they would recommend the procedure. Patient complaints following surgery included anisomastia (possibly pre-existing; n=2), sensory loss at the nipple (n=2) or around the nipple (n=3), scarring (n=4), and slight capsular contracture (n=1). No patients required reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: Southeast Asian patients reported high long-term satisfaction scores on the BREAST-Q scale and with their scar characteristics following breast augmentation using an inframammary fold incision, and nearly all said they would recommend this procedure. No reoperations were necessary in patients assessed for up to 5.5 years postoperatively.

Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of Zika Virus Infections Imported into Korea from March to October 2016

Zika is a re-emerging, mosquito-borne viral infection, which has been recently shown to cause microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Since 2015 the number of infected patients has increased significantly in South America. The purpose of this study was to identify the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of patients with Zika virus (ZIKV) infections in Korea. Patients who had visited areas of risk and tested positive in the ZIKV reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in blood, urine, or saliva specimens were included. The first Korean case of ZIKV infection was reported in March 2016, and 14 cases had been reported by October 2016. The median age of the patients was 34 years (19–64 years). Ten patients had been exposed in Southeast Asia and 4 in Latin America. Rash was the most common symptom (92.9%; 13/14), followed by myalgia (50.0%; 7/14), and arthralgia (28.6%, 4/14). There were no neurologic abnormalities and none of the patients was pregnant. Results of biochemical tests were normal. Positivity rates of RT-PCR for ZIKV in serum, urine, and saliva were 53.8%, 100.0%, and 83.3%, respectively in the first week of symptoms. In conclusion, 14 patients with ZIKV infections were reported in Korea by October 2016 and all of them had mild clinical symptoms.