Table 4 Baseline characteristics of enrolled patients grouped by place of residence

Age (years)

28.01 (4.11)

28.44 (4.02)

26.84 (4.14)

0.002*

Height (m)

1.59 (0.05)

1.59 (0.05)

1.58 (0.05)

0.223

Weight (kg)

50.08 (6.46)

50.43 (6.29)

49.13 (6.83)

0.102

BMI

19.88 (2.26)

19.98 (2.26)

19.62 (2.26)

0.201

Number of tumours removed

1.53 (0.95)

1.49 (0.92)

1.63 (1.00)

0.157

Diameter of the largest tumour (cm)

2.36 (1.04)

2.24 (1.00)

2.70 (1.09)

0.000*

Age at first birth (years)

28.73 (3.47)

28.97 (3.47)

28.10 (3.39)

0.042*

Interval between surgery and the first postoperative breastfeeding session (years)

2.79(1.54)

2.77 (1.56)

2.85 (1.49)

0.441

Education level

0.221

Junior college degree or above

288 (86.5%)

215 (88.5%)

73 (81.1%)

Below junior college degree

34 (10.2%)

22 (9.1%)

12 (13.3%)

Any history of childbirth prior to surgery

0.232

No

231 (69.4%)

164 (67.5%)

67 (74.4%)

Yes

102 (30.6%)

79 (32.5%)

23 (25.6%)

Unilateral or bilateral breast surgery

0.757

Unilateral

267 (88.1%)

196 (80.7%)

71 (78.9%)

Bilateral

66 (11.9%)

47 (19.3%)

19 (21.1%)

Diameter of the largest tumour (cm)

0.003*

≤ 3 cm

290 (87.1%)

220 (90.5%)

70 (77.8%)

> 3 cm

43 (12.9%)

23 (9.5%)

20 (22.2%)

Position of the incision

0.586

Margin of the areola

236 (70.9%)

169 (69.5%)

67 (74.4%)

Tumour surface

80 (24.0%)

62 (25.5%)

18 (20.0%)

Surgical method

0.129

Minimally invasive surgery

70 (21.0%)

57 (23.5%)

13 (14.4%)

Conventional open surgery

261 (78.4%)

184 (75.7%)

77 (85.6%)

Postoperative pathology

0.153

Fibroadenoma alone

253 (76.0%)

191 (78.6%)

62 (68.9%)

Fibroadenoma with other benign lesions

29 (8.7%)

20 (8.2%)

9 (10.0%)

Other benign disease

51 (15.3%)

32 (13.2%)

19 (21.1%)

Redness, swelling and pain in the operated breast during breastfeeding

0.874

No

272 (81.7%)

199 (81.9%)

73 (81.1%)

Yes

61 (18.3%)

44 (18.1%)

17 (18.9%)