PLASTIC SURGERY

Abstract

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons in South Africa is steadily growing in demand as awareness amongst the general population grows on account of increased exposure to the profession via the media. The major avenues of exposure in this current era are the social media platforms which have become common parlance in daily life. Of these social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have established themselves as the primary platforms of the social media world. Increasing numbers of plastic surgeons are utilising these social media platforms for exposure of their practices as well as patient education regarding the various reconstructive and cosmetic procedures on offer. Montemurro et al.1 found that of patients seeking information on cosmetic plastic surgery, 95% were using the internet to obtain their information prior to an actual face-to-face consultation with a plastic surgeon. However, the conversion of these online searches into physical visits to a plastic surgeon remains to be assessed. Facebook is an online social networking service which also allows users to search for services (usually through “groups” or “fan pages”), obtain information, and provide or examine reviews for these services. Twitter is a social networking site that enables individuals and businesses to share information or thoughts via text posts known as “tweets.” Twitter is a “microblog,” through which users can tweet up to 280 characters at a time. Instagram is a mobile photo and video sharing application and service that allows users to share pictures and videos either publicly or privately on the platform. Instagram users are also able to link their shared media to other social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. The first half of 2017 saw an information explosion on social media as plastic surgeons worldwide began to establish profiles across all social media platforms. A general search for the term “plastic surgery” yields an ever-growing plethora of profiles related to plastic surgery practices and surgeons. Many surgeons have begun using these platforms to enhance exposure to their practices by various means, including patient education through preand postoperative images, as well as intraoperative videos of various procedures, both reconstructive and cosmetic. #PlasticSurgery: an overview of the internet presence and utilisation of social media platforms by South African plastic surgeons PLASTIC SURGERY