Nikita James
Introduction
Social media plays an increasingly prominent role in plastic surgery, shaping patient expectations, marketing practices, and professional engagement. Despite its influence, the evidentiary landscape underlying this digital shift remains poorly characterised. This bibliometric study analyses the 100 most cited publications on social media in plastic surgery to identify thematic trends, publication patterns, and methodological quality.
Methods
The 100 most cited publications addressing social media in plastic and reconstructive surgery were identified using Web of Science and Scopus (December 2024). Extracted variables included citation count, publication characteristics, journal source, and thematic focus. Study quality was assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence (LOE).
Results
The included articles accrued 4,278 total citations (range 16–180; mean 42.78 ± 31.99), with Montemurro et al. (2015) the most cited. Most studies were published in the 2010s (n = 63) and originated from the United States (n = 64). Marketing and physician behavior were dominant themes, with Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery and Aesthetic Surgery Journal serving as primary publication venues. Most studies were low-level evidence (LOE 5 n = 26; LOE 4 n = 34; LOE 3 n = 34; LOE 2 n = 5), with a single LOE 1 study. Patient-reported outcome measures appeared in only one publication.
Conclusions
Highly cited social media scholarship in plastic surgery is dominated by lower-level evidence, reflecting a disconnect between digital influence and methodological rigor. Strengthening study design, outcome reporting, and ethical digital communication is essential to align online visibility with evidence-based practice.
Authors
Nikita James, Imperial College Medical School, London, United Kingdom
Arnav Umranikar, GKT School of Medical Education, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom
Harun Arain, School of Population Health and Medicine, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
Gulled Bulhan, School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
Sebastian Mitchell, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
José Antonio Arellano, Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Argentina