Reconstructive and restorative cues improve public perception on the value of plastic and reconstructive surgeries.

Background: Persistent public misconceptions of plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS), ambiguity between cosmetic versus reconstructive surgical procedures, and subjective interpretation of aesthetics can result in undervaluing of the field. Our study analyzes how patient context (cosmetic or reconstructive/restorative cues) affect public perception of outcomes and value of surgery.

Methods: We distributed Qualtrics™ surveys to laypersons via Amazon Mechanical Turk.