Good cosmetic results are an important factor – but not the only factor – differentiating positive versus negative reviews for plastic surgeons on Google, Yelp, and other online review sites, according to a special topic paper in the May issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

Factors such as communication with the surgeon and interactions with office staff also have an impact on whether plastic surgery patients are happy or unhappy, according to the study by ASPS Member Surgeon John Y.S. Kim, MD, of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and colleagues.