Chaldean American Views on Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

9-2026

Publication Title

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Global Open

Abstract

Objective: Cultural and religious beliefs may influence perceptions of cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. However, attitudes toward these procedures among Chaldean Americans, an ethnoreligious minority originating from northern Iraq largely concentrated in the Detroit metropolitan area, have not previously been characterized. This study evaluated attitudes toward aesthetic and reconstructive surgery within the Chaldean American community and examined demographic, cultural, and religious factors associated with these views. Methods: A cross-sectional electronic survey was administered using Qualtrics to self-identified Chaldean Americans aged ≥18 years residing in the United States. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling within the Detroit metropolitan Chaldean community. The survey assessed demographics, prior cosmetic procedures, interest in aesthetic surgery, surgeon gender preference, attitudes toward breast reconstruction, and the influence of cultural and religious beliefs. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and comparisons between male and female respondents were performed using chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05. Results: A total of 104 respondents completed the survey (54.8% women, 45.2% men), with a mean age of 27.1 ± 9.5 years. Overall, 22.1% reported a prior cosmetic procedure, which was significantly more common among women than men (31.6% vs 10.6%, p = 0.008). Rhinoplasty was the most frequently reported procedure (65.2%). Interest in cosmetic procedures was significantly higher among women than men (p < 0.001). Men were significantly more likely than women to prefer a male surgeon for both cosmetic and reconstructive procedures (p < 0.001). Cosmetic surgery was considered to conflict with religious beliefs by 35.6% of respondents, and men were more likely than women to cite religion as an influencing factor (p = 0.007). Women demonstrated greater support for breast reconstruction following mastectomy as well as implant-based and autologous reconstruction (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: Attitudes toward cosmetic and reconstructive surgery within the Chaldean American community appear to be shaped by sex, cultural norms, and religious beliefs. Rhinoplasty was particularly prominent among both men and women. Greater awareness of these perspectives may help surgeons provide more culturally informed counseling when caring for patients from Chaldean and other Middle Eastern communities.

Volume

14

Issue

S4

First Page

17

Last Page

17

Comments

Michigan Academy of Plastic Surgeons Annual Meeting, July 12-15, 2026, Mackinac Island, MI

DOI

10.1097/01.GOX.0001276760.29333.93

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