by Dorfman, Robert
G.; Purnell, Chad; Qiu, Cecil; Ellis, Marco F.; Basu, C. Bob; Kim, John Y. S.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: May 2018 - Volume 141 - Issue 5 - p 663e–673e
Background:
Online reviews have become modern versions of the word-of-mouth recommendation,
and prospective patients are increasingly consulting them before making
decisions about their surgical care. The authors’ objectives were to (1)
identify trends in the use of online reviews, and (2) important reasons for
patient satisfaction and dissatisfaction with aesthetic surgery. The authors
selected breast augmentation as the primary procedure of interest. Methods:
Reviews of the top 10 to 20 most reviewed plastic surgeons in each of six large
metropolitan areas were obtained from Google, Yelp, and RealSelf. Reviews were
assessed for predefined dimensions of satisfaction and dissatisfaction.
Results: A total of 1077 breast augmentation reviews were obtained. Ratings
were distributed bimodally, with peaks at five stars and one star. The majority
of reviews were positive (87.5 percent). Relative popularity of Google versus
Yelp varied across geographic regions, and average rating varied by platform.
Between 2011 and 2016, the number of online reviews for breast augmentation
grew at an average rate of 42.6 percent per year. Aesthetic outcome was the
most commonly cited dimension (69.8 percent of reviews), whereas cost was
mentioned in only 7.8 percent of reviews. A substantial minority of negative
Yelp (37 percent) and Google (9.4 percent) reviews were written by patients who
did not actually undergo surgery. Free-text analysis of heterogeneous reviews
(containing positive and negative attributes) classified dimensions as
critical, redeemable, or protective. Conclusion: As the influence of online
review platforms continues to grow, understanding drivers of positive and
negative reviews may help surgeons improve patient satisfaction.
