Checking out plastic surgeons on Instagram? Your perception may be biased

May 26, 2021 – Social media sites – especially Instagram – have revolutionized the way plastic surgeons market their practice. These platforms allow surgeons to post testimonials, educational videos, and before-and-after photos. This information can help to guide patients in making decisions about whether to undergo cosmetic surgery and which plastic surgeon to choose, based on factors like the surgeon’s experience and results achieved. However, patient perceptions of plastic surgeons’ skills may also be affected by implicit bias – based solely on the ethnicity of the surgeon’s name. “In our survey of responses to otherwise-identical Instagram posts, the plastic surgeon’s name significantly affected perceptions of surgeon competence,” comments lead author Ash Patel, MB, ChB, of Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center. “The findings remind us that implicit bias plays a critical role in our day-to-day actions, whether or not we realize it,” Dr. Patel adds. The study appears in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). The researchers created a set of mock Instagram posts showing before-and-after photos of a breast augmentation patient. The posts were identical in every way – except for the plastic surgeon’s name. Versions of…
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