Preferences for the ocular region aesthetics and elective double eyelid surgery in Chinese: A nationwide discrete choice experiment

Objective: This study aimed to investigate preferences for elective double eyelid surgery and explore the psychosocial underpinnings influencing ocular aesthetics and attitudes toward aesthetic surgery.
Method: This nationwide online experiment was conducted throughout four tiers of cities in China using quota sampling, which included self-administered Likert scales for general self-efficacy and modified body image and a set of discrete choice experiments (DCE) that measured the relative value and odds ratio of elective double eyelid surgery surgical options and marginal willingness to pay for procedure attributes.
Results: A total of 554 respondents were included in the final analysis (41.9% males and 57.9% females). A total of 47.1% of the respondents perceive double eyelid surgery as acceptable, with surgeon proficiency being the most important attribute (25.88%), followed by healthcare facilities (17.90%), maintenance time of double eyelid (18.62%), and others. Respondents held a Juste-milieu and moderate mind for ocular aesthetics. Those who accepted the surgery had higher ratings on all items of the modified body-image measures than their counterparts, with the sum of the 5-point Likert values being 27.5 (SD 11.2) versus 21.2 (SD 10.0) (P < 0.001 for all), whereas there were no differences in the general self-efficacy scale.
Conclusion: Chinese respondents prioritized improving their physical appearance and preferred undergoing aesthetic double eyelid surgery with a skilled surgeon at a higher-tier hospital. Understanding patients’ stated preferences, training new surgeons, and improving Chinese medical system facilities are vital and urgent to better balance patient expectations and improve aesthetic surgical satisfaction.

© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons.