Reconstructive and restorative cues improve public perception on the value of plastic and reconstructive surgeries

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Reconstructive and restorative cues improve public perception on the value of plastic and reconstructive surgeries Via Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2021 Apr 22:S1748-6815(21)00175-3. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2021.02.012. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Persistent public misconceptions of plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS), ambiguity between cosmetic versus reconstructive surgical procedures, and subjective interpretation of aesthetics can result in undervaluing of the field. Our study analyzes how patient context (cosmetic or reconstructive/restorative cues) affect public perception of outcomes and value of surgery. METHODS: We distributed Qualtrics™ surveys to laypersons via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Demographics were self-reported. The survey presented a series of pre- and post-operative photographs of PRS surgeries alongside either a cosmetic or reconstructive/restorative cue, followed by questions on values of procedure. Survey responses were analyzed using two-tailed Student's t tests and chi square analyses, univariate and mu ltivariate analysis, and linear regression. RESULTS: Of the 459 respondents, the mean age was 38.5 ± 12.1 years, and was 50.5% (232) male. The majority of respondents classified breast reconstruction as a cosmetic surgery (243, 66.8%), and was rated more attractive (p < 0.0005), higher impact on self-esteem (p < 0.001), and to be covered by health insurance (p < 0.0001) compared to breast augmentation. Reconstructive cued breast and facial procedures were viewed more favorably; the exception was gynecomastia reduction. Reconstructive classification had significant positive correlation with support for insurance coverage (R2 = 0.8268) and willingness to pursue (R2 = 0.5328). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed more public support for reconstructive/restorative cued PRS cases over cosmetic cued PRS cases, and persistent misconceptions of breast reconstruction as a cosmetic procedure. Reconstructive or restorative cues can be used to educate the public and address skewed perceptions on the roles and value of PRS. PMID:33992560 | DOI:10.1016/j.bjps.2021.02.012 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.