Sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, and criteria of the patient for the choice of the plastic surgeon

Introduction: Around the world, approximately 11 million plastic surgeries are estimated to be performed each year. Individuals with different needs and sociodemographic profiles have used similar means to search for medical service providers, modifying consumer relations. Thus, is necessary a more detailed analysis of consumers’ characteristics of health services related to plastic surgery and the factors that impact their decision-making, since patients and their families need to feel safe when seeking medical treatment, and professionals should be the facilitators of this process. Methods: This is a real-life, prospective, observational, and descriptive study conducted in a single hospital center. We included in the sample 501 patients submitted to plastic surgeries, from June to November 2017, performed exclusively by specialist surgeons by the Sociedade Brasileira de Cirurgia Plástica (SBCP). Sociodemographic characteristics, life habits, and criteria for the surgeon’s choice were evaluated. Results: The sample consisted predominantly of young, brown, married adult women with average body mass index (BMI), higher education level, and belonging to the upper-middle class, most of whom were physically active and did not reveal any bias. The most used criterion for choosing the plastic surgeon was the indication of friends or family. Conclusion: This study produced reliable results for describing patients’ sociodemographic characteristics and life habits, allowing the identification of the most relevant factor in the plastic surgeon’s choice. ■ ABSTRACT