[Cost analysis of conservative versus operative therapy of macromastia].

Abstract

Macromastia causes back and neck pain, scaphodynia, intertrigo of the inframammary crease up to dysaesthesia. Typical complaints of patients with macromastia are physical burden, psychological irritation and aesthetic deformity, often resulting in social isolation. Despite the demonstrable success of reduction mammaplasty to eliminate not only the symptoms of macromastia but the cause of the ailment, conservative therapy is still favoured by insurance companies and bearing of costs for surgical therapy therefore is rejected. Expenses of conservative treatment as well as costs related to appeal and lawsuits against insurance decisions exceed the case-based lump sum of reduction mammaplasty manifold. Conservative treatments do not eliminate the causes of the illness. Therefore the rejection of a medically indicated reduction mammaplasty has to be regarded as unfavourable and economically inefficient.

• Authors: T Scholz, J Diedrichson, R R Olbrisch, J Liebau
• Journal: Handchirurgie, Mikrochirurgie, plastische Chirurgie : Organ der Deutschsprachigen Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Handchirurgie : Organ der Deutschsprachigen Arbeitsgemeinschaft fur Mikrochirurgie der Peripheren Nerven und Gefasse : Organ der V... (Handchir Mikrochir Plast Chir) Vol. 40 Issue 2 Pg. 100-4 (Apr 2008) ISSN: 0722-1819 [Print] Germany
• Vernacular Title: Kostenanalyse der konservativen versus operativen therapie der makromastie.
• PMID: 18437668 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, English Abstract, Journal Article)

Topics

• Adult
• Back Pain (etiology, prevention & control)
• Breast Diseases (complications, economics, psychology, surgery, therapy)
• Cost-Benefit Analysis
• Diagnosis-Related Groups (economics)
• Female
• Germany
• Humans
• Mammaplasty (economics)
• Neck Pain (etiology, prevention & control)
• Patient Satisfaction
• Physical Therapy Modalities (economics)
• Social Isolation