Is It a Mind Game? Do Visual and Psychological Perceptions Differ Between Aesthetic Surgery Patients and Healthy Controls?

Aim: Aesthetic plastic surgery allows for the reshaping of the human body. Most research on aesthetic surgery has focused primarily on improving self-confidence. In this study, we aimed to assess the visual perception, body appreciation, body image quality of life, and satisfaction with life among aesthetic surgery patients, and compare these outcomes with those of healthy controls.

Methods: A total of 57 aesthetic surgery patients and 56 healthy controls, with no history of psychiatric disorders, were included in the study. All participants completed the Motor-Free Visual Perception Test (3rd Edition), the Body Appreciation Scale (BAS), the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Participants with a history of psychiatric disorders and the surgeon's own revision patients were excluded.

Results: MVPT-3 scores were significantly lower in aesthetic surgery patients compared to healthy controls. Additionally, as the number of operations increased, MVPT-3 scores decreased. A similar trend was observed between MVPT-3 and BIQLI/BAS scores, where lower body image quality and appreciation were associated with reduced visual perception scores. Interestingly, satisfaction with life was not significantly affected.

Conclusion: Evaluating visual perception in patients seeking multiple surgeries may help prevent negative outcomes and contribute to more positive surgical experiences.

Level of evidence iv: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .