(1205) Beyond the Nose: Unmasking Septoplasty Trends Through Social Media

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the popular social media platforms Instagram and Facebook for public posts related to septoplasty, to discern attitudes and perceptions surrounding septoplasty and to evaluate the content of social media posts related to septoplasty.

Methods: Instagram and Facebook were searched for public posts including the search terms "septoplasty,” “deviated septum,” and “deviated septum surgery." Posts were excluded if they included additional procedures such as rhinoplasty or written in a non-English language. Over 2,200 posts were analyzed however only 250 met the inclusion criteria. Relevant posts underwent subgroup analysis based on 5 domains: media type, perspective, topic, popularity, and overall tone.

Results: Among the 250 public social media posts, the majority (87.3%) were authored by patients, with contributions from physicians (9.7%) and hospitals (3%). A significant proportion (96%) of posts portrayed septoplasty positively, highlighting postoperative improvements in the ability to breathe. Negative posts (4%) predominantly originated from patients experiencing postoperative complications such as pain, discomfort from nasal splints, persistent nasal obstruction, and failure to correct septal deviation. Common themes included significant improvement in breathing postoperatively (95%), preoperative symptoms related to difficulty breathing (2%), and educational content (3%). Notably, a limited number of posts addressed the coverage of septoplasty by insurance (1%) and clarified that the procedure does not impact the cosmetic appearance of the nose (7%).

Conclusions: The majority of social media posts were patient-driven, primarily focusing on postoperative experiences, indicating a notable scarcity of educational content. Otolaryngologists could leverage this information to optimize patient interactions and potentially increase physician involvement in disseminating educational material on septoplasty through social media.