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A machine learning analysis of patient concerns regarding mastopexy
Christopher James Didzbalis1, Christopher C Tseng1, Joseph Weisberger1
1Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, 140 Bergen Street, Suite E1620, Newark, NJ 07103, United States.
Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery : JPRAS
|December 13, 2022
Summary
Social media inquiries reveal key patient concerns about breast lifts (mastopexy). Understanding these common questions helps plastic surgeons improve consultations and patient satisfaction.
Area of Science:
- Plastic Surgery
- Medical Informatics
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
Background:
- Social media platforms are increasingly utilized for patient-physician communication.
- Online inquiries provide valuable insights into patient concerns regarding cosmetic procedures.
- Mastopexy (breast lift) patient questions were analyzed from a popular social media site.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify prevalent patient concerns related to mastopexy using social media data.
- To enhance preoperative consultations by addressing common patient questions.
- To improve patient satisfaction through realistic expectation setting.
Main Methods:
- Collected 2,011 mastopexy-related inquiries from Realself.com using web crawling.
- Manually categorized inquiries into preoperative and postoperative subcategories.
- Applied machine learning to identify the ten most representative questions.
Main Results:
- Preoperative inquiries focused on eligibility, surgical techniques, and breast lift type.
- Postoperative inquiries most frequently concerned appearance, symptoms, and post-surgery behavior.
- Key appearance concerns included nipple aesthetics, skin discoloration, and scarring.
Conclusions:
- Social media data offers plastic surgeons a direct view into patient concerns.
- Optimizing consultations based on these insights can recalibrate expectations.
- Addressing common patient questions leads to improved overall satisfaction with mastopexy procedures.
