Odds of Finding a Plastic Surgeon on TikTok and Instagram
Poster #: 001
Session/Time: B
Author:
Aakash Reddy Chadive, BS
Mentor:
Yifan Guo, MD
Research Type: Medicine in Social Media
Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
Social media has increasingly become a primary source of medical information for users of all ages, especially regarding elective procedures such as cosmetic surgery. Given the growing role of platforms like TikTok and Instagram in shaping public perception, we aimed to evaluate the presence of plastic surgeons on these platforms.
METHODS:
Over five weeks, we queried TikTok and Instagram using the five most common cosmetic surgeries in the United States: "Eyelid Surgery," "Liposuction," "Breast Augmentation," "Breast Lift," and "Tummy Tuck." Analytics were collected, and each account was categorized as follows: U.S. plastic surgeons as "Plastic Surgeon," U.S. physicians from other specialties as "Non-Plastic Surgeon," international clinics or physicians as "International," and all remaining accounts as "Unrelated."
RESULTS:
The search term "liposuction" yielded the highest number of (5) plastic surgeons and (7) non-plastic surgeons, all of whom were out of scope. "Eyelid surgery" yielded the most non-plastic surgeons (16, P < 0.01), all of whom were considered in scope. "Breast augmentation" and "tummy tuck" yielded zero plastic surgeons. The proportion of plastic surgeon accounts was 2.2% on Instagram versus 0.40% on TikTok (P<0.01). "Unrelated" accounts comprised 94% of the results on TikTok and 70% on Instagram.
CONCLUSION:
Plastic surgeons accounted for less than 1% of all accounts identified across TikTok and Instagram. This low representation raises concerns about medical credibility and potentially exposes patients to misinformation. Therefore, both platforms appear inadequate for users seeking professional guidance from plastic surgeons.
Social media has increasingly become a primary source of medical information for users of all ages, especially regarding elective procedures such as cosmetic surgery. Given the growing role of platforms like TikTok and Instagram in shaping public perception, we aimed to evaluate the presence of plastic surgeons on these platforms.
METHODS:
Over five weeks, we queried TikTok and Instagram using the five most common cosmetic surgeries in the United States: "Eyelid Surgery," "Liposuction," "Breast Augmentation," "Breast Lift," and "Tummy Tuck." Analytics were collected, and each account was categorized as follows: U.S. plastic surgeons as "Plastic Surgeon," U.S. physicians from other specialties as "Non-Plastic Surgeon," international clinics or physicians as "International," and all remaining accounts as "Unrelated."
RESULTS:
The search term "liposuction" yielded the highest number of (5) plastic surgeons and (7) non-plastic surgeons, all of whom were out of scope. "Eyelid surgery" yielded the most non-plastic surgeons (16, P < 0.01), all of whom were considered in scope. "Breast augmentation" and "tummy tuck" yielded zero plastic surgeons. The proportion of plastic surgeon accounts was 2.2% on Instagram versus 0.40% on TikTok (P<0.01). "Unrelated" accounts comprised 94% of the results on TikTok and 70% on Instagram.
CONCLUSION:
Plastic surgeons accounted for less than 1% of all accounts identified across TikTok and Instagram. This low representation raises concerns about medical credibility and potentially exposes patients to misinformation. Therefore, both platforms appear inadequate for users seeking professional guidance from plastic surgeons.