The perception of plastic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic—an analysis of online search patterns on a medical information platform

Abstract

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted global life and transitioned economies and societal perceptions of life as we knew it. Professional and social life mostly ground to a nadir during the first lockdown in Europe in March. As a consequence, measures aimed at preventing the spread of the virus were established in medical facilities also and elective plastic surgery procedures were temporarily suspended in our clinic and others. A majority of the population, including those potentially contemplating plastic surgery procedures, spent most of their time at home with ample time available to research information about surgical procedures and other topics online. This investigation analyzes the relevance of plastic surgery during the pandemic on the basis of online search behavior patterns. Online traffic data from the online platform http://www.mooci.org were extracted using Google Analytics over a period of 6 months. The parameters analyzed were: pageviews, session duration, and bounce rate. Additionally, differentiation by areas of interest has been obtained. The data were compared and analyzed before and after the beginning of the first hard lockdown in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. There were no significant differences in regard to pageviews and session duration when comparing time points before and after the beginning of the hard lockdown. The bounce rate exhibited a significant decrease after the beginning of the lockdown, implying a more conscious search for information and greater absorption and retention. There was no difference that could conclusively be attributed to the pandemic in terms of specific areas of interest researched. Society’s demand for information about plastic-surgical procedures continues to be steadily prevalent—despite, or even in particular, during a global pandemic. Providing reliable and readily available information about plastic surgery procedures is an important component of a functioning doctor–patient relationship and informed consent. This information may reflect society’s increased interest in plastic surgery during the pandemic, or be simply reflective of more spare time at hand to allow for such research. Further studies should investigate the relevance of elective procedures over the entire course of the pandemic.

Shifts in Reduction Mammaplasty Surgical Volumes With the Emergence of a Global Pandemic

“…Survey studies have shown evidence that many of the factors driving the trend for plastic surgery procedures, both surgical and nonsurgical, include a renewed focus on self-image after the pandemic, more instances of online video calling, and a desire to improve their quality of life after the pandemic 39–41 . Online search trends similarly reflect this increased interest in plastic surgery, showing evidence that since 2020, there has been a rise in searches for various aesthetic procedures 42–44 . What the analysis in this study suggests is that there may be new factors to consider when a patient is deciding to undergo plastic surgery that may have been precipitated, instead of temporarily halted, by a worldwide viral pandemic.…”

“…However, the lack of statistically significant decline in this study in the initial months of the pandemic does not explain the surge in reduction mammaplasty cases in the 2 years after the pandemic. Evidence in the literature shows that, after the first year of the pandemic, there has been increased interest and demand for plastic surgery procedures driven by factors surrounding the new norm of the pandemic 39,42–44 . These findings provide additional evidence for factors potentially contributing to patients pursuing reduction mammoplasty post-COVID including convenience resulting from time off due to pandemic, meeting insurance-covered reduction criteria, and projected recovery time.…”