Dr. Konstantinos Seretis, MD, MSc, EBOPRAS

  The answer is yes, according to 2 studies, conducted, separately, by the University of Florida and Real Self.

 

  A group of women who had received breast implants in the past was studied to examine if and how their sex lives were affected by the operation. The majority of respondents reported having better love lives after the procedure, claiming that they not only had more sex, but their experiences were much more pleasurable.

 

 

Reports of increased sexual activity and enjoyment

 

 Researchers from the University of Florida studied a group of 84 women ages 21 to 57 years old, who underwent cosmetic breast augmentation, assessing their perceptions of self-esteem and sexuality before and after operation. Eligible candidates filled a questionnaire rating their self-esteem and sexuality before and 2-3 months after the surgery.

  Overall, the women didn't have particularly low self-esteem or particularly poor sexual function prior to surgery. But both aspects of their lives significantly improved after they got breast implants:

• Average self-esteem score increased from 20.7 to 24.9 (on the 30-point  Rosenberg scale)

• Average female sexual function score increased from 27.2 to 31.4 (on the 36-point index)

Of note, after the procedure, patients also reported:

• 78.6% increase in sexual desire

• 81% improvement in arousal

• 57% rise in satisfaction. 

Only a small number of participants showed no change in their levels of self-esteem or sexuality after surgery.

 

  Real Self conducted a poll in 2012 among visitors to the website who had recently received breast augmentation. According to the data:

• 61% of women reported to having sex more frequently after their surgery.

• 70% of women said their overall sexual satisfaction increased, with 28% remarking that on a ten-point scale, their love lives improved by 4 notches.

 

 

 Individuals who had breast augmentation were more likely to enjoy sexual activity, but why?

 

  The answer to the findings of both studies is confidence. The women are happier with their body, which leads to a greater self-perception. The increased confidende levels lead to improvements in other areas of their lives and among them sexual life. 

  However, I would like to be clear that women should NOT pursue cosmetic surgery solely to boost their sex lives, as self-esteem comes from within and not solely from external factors.

   Therefore, basic rules with all aesthetic operations are:

 

1. A woman should make sure it is what she wants. She should not seek plastic surgery under pressure from someone else.

2. A breast implant or aesthetic operation is unlikely to change women's lives in a major way. They may get some positive attention, but they may also suffer negative attention, if they get an excessive result (i.e. too big breasts for their body). So always try to have natural results.

3. Some people (around 6%) seeking for an aesthetic operation suffer from a serious psychological problem called body dysmorphic disorder: disproportionate concern over relatively minor physical imperfections. A suspected patient with this condition must be evaluated before surgery.