Social Media Use Among Plastic Surgeons in China: A National Cross-Sectional Survey of Professional Benefits, Ethical...

The rapid expansion of social media has significantly altered the landscape of patient communication, professional branding, and ethical practice in plastic surgery. In China, where the aesthetic medicine market is growing rapidly, surgeons increasingly rely on platforms such as Xiaohongshu and Douyin to engage with patients. However, the implications of this digital transformation for clinical practice remain insufficiently explored.

A national cross-sectional survey of 800 licensed plastic surgeons was conducted from December 2024 to March 2025. The questionnaire assessed platform usage, perceived benefits, patient interactions, and ethical concerns. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis.

WeChat Video (62.75%) and Xiaohongshu (61.13%) were the most utilized platforms. A majority reported enhanced professional visibility (84.00%) and income growth (57.50%), though 52.87% attributed ≤ 10% of income to social media. Key challenges included unrealistic patient expectations (69.43%), negative feedback (62.18%), and exposure to misleading advertisements (76.68%). Platform-specific risks emerged: Douyin was associated with privacy breaches (p = 0.015) and patient dissatisfaction (p = 0.008), while Xiaohongshu correlated with patient acquisition (p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses suggested heterogeneous patterns across experience levels and institution types, with private-sector surgeons with 6-10 years of experience reporting consistently favorable social media-related outcomes.

Social media was perceived as a useful adjunct for professional visibility, patient communication, and practice development among Chinese plastic surgeons. Its use was also associated with ethical and operational challenges, including unrealistic expectations, privacy concerns, misinformation, and patient dissatisfaction. These association-based findings support the need for platform-specific guidance, transparent risk disclosure, and stronger privacy safeguards in digital aesthetic practice.

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