The influence of the social media on decision making for breast augmentation procedure in Turkish female patients

Purpose: Social media serves as a powerful tool in cosmetic medicine to gain more knowledge and facilitate decision-making and interaction with other patients. This study aims to assess the influence of social media on desire and decision-making for breast augmentation procedures in Turkish female patients. Materials and methods: A total of 79 female patients who applied to our clinic and had breast augmentation between February 2023 and August 2024 were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent breast augmentation with silicone gel implants by the senior author. A 7-question survey was conducted to evaluate the effects of social media on the desire to undergo surgery and the decision to undergo surgery. Patients’ age, occupation, average daily social media usage time, and previous surgery history were also assessed. Results: According to the questionnaire findings, the vast majority of the patients (39%, 31 patients) strongly agreed on the impact of social media on undergoing breast augmentation. 33 of the patients verified the amplifying impact of social media on the desire to have surgery. In terms of positive effectiveness in choosing a surgeon, 94% of patients strongly agreed or agreed. Conclusion: During the decision-making process, social media presents various beneficial information. Social media is very important in establishing healthy communication between patients and healthcare professionals.