The sooner the better: a study of psychological factors in women undergoing immediate versus delayed breast reconstruction.

Patients who had reconstructive breast surgery at the time of mastectomy (immediate) or within 1 year (early) had significantly less recalled distress about their mastectomy than those who had it more than 1 year later (delayed). Women who had immediate or delayed reconstructive surgery had similar levels of psychological symptoms, which were slightly lower than those reported by women in the early reconstructive group. The wish to wear a wider range of clothes and the wish to be rid of the external prosthesis were common motivations for reconstructive surgery. The desire to improve sexual relations or one's marital state was less common and should be viewed with caution when presented as the primary motivation for this procedure.