Rhytidectomy—Information Patients Seek and Where They Find Answers

Abstract

AbstractPatients considering rhytidectomy often search for information online prior to in-office consultation. This study identifies the most searched queries regarding rhytidectomy and evaluates sources to which patients are directed. The search engine optimization tool Ahrefs was utilized to extract Google metadata on searches performed in the United States. Frequently asked questions were categorized by topic; websites were categorized by type. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria enabled information quality assessment. A total of 565 questions for three search phrases were extracted (265 “facelift,” 265 “face lift,” and 35 “rhytidectomy”). The majority of monthly searches in the facelift and face lift groups pertained to procedural cost, which was significantly higher than in the rhytidectomy group (52.9% and 50.7 vs. 0.0%, ANOVA p <0.001). The mean JAMA score for private practice sources (1.2 ± 0.42) was significantly lower than that of academic pages of (2.3 ± 1.9, p = 0.026) and commercial sources (3.0 ± 0.82, p = 0.008). The most popular destinations for rhytidectomy were California and Mexico (630 and 440 searches/month). Online searches for facelifts often revolve around the topic of cost and frequently direct patients to websites that provide inadequate information on authorship, attribution, disclosure, and currency.