Hand surgery as a working area of plastic surgeons

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

Previous studies have shown that the public has misconceptions about the work of plastic surgeons in hand surgery. However, no specific Brazilian data on this issue are available. The objective of this study was to evaluate the public perceptions about the role of plastic surgeons in the field of hand surgery in Brazil.

Methods:

Members of the Brazilian public chose one or two specialists whom they believed to be experts in eight scenarios related to hand surgery. The patterns of the responses were distributed into “plastic surgeons” or “non-plastic surgeons.”

Results:

Non-plastic surgeons were significantly (p < 0.05 for all comparisons) more recognized as experts than plastic surgeons in all scenarios related to hand surgery.

Conclusion:

The knowledge and perceptions of the Brazilian public about the work performed by plastic surgeons in the field of hand surgery are limited.

Keywords:
Brazil; Surgery; Plastic; Hands; Social perception; Specialization