Patient in tears, before/after surgery photos… Many plastic surgeons in private practice, including Quebecers, use social media to promote their businesses and have thousands of subscribers. Some of them actually observe the phenomenon of “doctor-influencers” due to their existence.
Dr. Hani Chinno welcomes us to her clinic in downtown Montreal. An avid user of Instagram, he has a following of nearly 30,000 subscribers. In his view, there is the advent of Instagram changed game
in his profession.
In one year, my practice has increased by 30% because I am on Instagram
Says Dr Chinno who has been using this social network since 2017. He describes himself thus Small influencer
First Thousands of people
See his Stories Every day.
Dr. Chinno's Clinic, downtown Montreal.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Violet Cantin
We have identified more than ten Quebec plastic surgeons who are particularly active on social networks. On their Instagram and TikTok accounts, they post all kinds of content featuring their industry and clients. These publications often include their clinic's phone number and a call to make an appointment.
Dr. As Chinno explains, this increased presence on social media is building on that. In the past, she organized a grand opening at her clinic to which she invited many influencers. They took video and did tagsof Like it. I grew 10,000, 15,000 [abonnés] With this wreath.
He mentions that he did not pay them because such a practice was prohibited by the College of Physicians.
Essentially, social networks?
Quebec plastic surgeons are far from using social networks. Some experts in the US sometimes see this phenomenon in other places like the US where TikTok and Instagram have millions of subscribers.
Montreal-area surgeon Ari Pensetrid says he sees As an essential form of marketing to reach the demographic groups that interest us
.
According to him, even escaping from it is difficult. Potential patients talk about us and compare their surgeries. So even indirectly we are all involved in social networks.
Dr. in Laval. Benoit LeBlanc shares photos and videos with his nearly 15,000 followers on Instagram.
These are the things we can do, the results we can achieve. Can it create complexes between people?
Before continuing, he dangles his question: Even with normal anatomy, we may take patients who may not achieve as good results as some other patients.
An order not always respected
The College of Physicians publishes an exercise guide (new window) Regulation of advertising and public statements by physicians.
We have noted that compliance with at least one of the guidelines in this approximately fifteen-page guide may fluctuate. The rule requires doctors who post before-and-after photos of a patient to include a warning text referencing these photos. Results are not guaranteed
.
In 2022 there were 125 plastic surgeons in the province. Of the 13 coaches' Instagram accounts we found, all of whom post multiple times a week, seven of them had at least one before/after type post that didn't include a mandatory warning. Text.
College of Physicians clarified to us in writing that before/after photos It helps inform the public about the nature of services offered to a certain extent. However, they must respect the conditions mentioned in the exercise guide.
.
It keeps getting worse
Dr. Genevieve Blackburn, unlike the interviewed colleagues, practically does not publish photos of her clients on her Instagram account. This is explained, among other things, by the fact that he has few places for new patients and that he does not want to be in front of the camera. Still, she thinks some of her colleagues could be described as physician-influencers.
Information and education all have a place
, who has worked in aesthetic medicine for 15 years, believes. But in medical aesthetics, There are too many accounts and it gets worse with multiple filters [appliqués sur les photos] And before/after is really unrealistic
.
“We consult with patients who have unrealistic ideas with their budget or their face,” he says. Patients may not have a good understanding of how their face ages or what they can do with certain amounts of products.
The College of Physicians agrees with this The question of the use of filters is not specifically addressed
In its guide, however, it recalls that ethics states that a physician cannot False, misleading or incomplete advertisement or representation
.
An event that raises questions
Regular use of social networks by some physicians raises ethical and professional questions
According to an ethicist and associate professor at the School of Public Health at Université Emmanuel Marceau in Montreal.
We see the benefits of cosmetic surgery being promoted. […] Should these practices be displayed online like this?
Camille Aloying, professor of social and public relations at the University of Quebec in Montreal, notes for her role A new way of seeing medical practices
. He mentions in passing While this may make cosmetic surgery procedures seem trivial, they are not so trivial
.
It's not without consequences, he adds. Today we have some studies that show that certain audiences, especially teenagers and both female and male, perceive a new standard of beauty and appearance in the publications they regularly see, especially on Instagram.
These cosmetic surgery videos are once again helping to redefine what a beautiful nose and a beautiful chest look like.
He unhesitatingly affirms that he observes a phenomenon Influential Physicians
.
College of Physicians involved
Mr. Alloying offers a broader reflection on commodification in the age of social media.
Is it ethical or not for cosmetic surgeons to use sites like Instagram? […] Turn patients' bodies into advertising material?
To this question, the College of Physicians answers that it is Concerned about the situation
And calls anyone who thinks he's a doctor violates its ethical obligations
to do A report by [son] site web
.
Eric Bensimon, president of Quebec's Association of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgeons, declined our interview request, but responded in writing: We encourage our members to stay up-to-date and respect the rules and laws specific to medicine and plastic surgery.
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