Do Selfies Help the Healing Process?

It seems like almost every person is taking a selfie at some point during the day. While selfies help others know what their friends are doing, a new study shows they might help speed up the healing process.

According to a recently study published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, researchers found that 96.2\\% of patients that took selfies during the first few days after their procedure , and sent them to their surgeons,  reported their post-op experience was of a higher quality.

The study, which examined 57 patients and had a total of 52 that responded, showed that almost everyone who sent in selfies enjoyed a better overall experience with their provider. In fact, doctors were able to detect early complications in three cases thanks to the images.

One of the authors of the study, Dr. James E. Zins from the department of plastic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio, told Allure Magazine that the study idea came from a practice he already had in place with his patients. Dr. Zins said “I was already contacting my cosmetic surgery patients several days postoperatively by telephone to assure their post-operative course was going as planned, and on occasion, a patient would send me a photograph to detail a postoperative issue. It then became clear to me that a protocol was in order.”

Zins then started to ask his patients to text him at the time they left the post-op area as well as to send him a selfie 2 to 3 days after the procedure. Zins added that this practice helped to lessen patient concerns about bruising and swelling and it also gave him a chance to spot early warning signs that could appear regarding post-op complications.

It should be noted that smartphone photos should not be used to replace an exam conducted in-person with a doctor after a procedure such as breast augmentation or rhinoplasty. While the study showed an increase in the quality of the post-op experience, the physician still needs to be able to examine the patient face to face to make sure the healing process is progressing as planned.

MA