Chaldean American Views on Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Abstract
Background: Cultural and religious beliefs influence perceptions of plastic surgery, yet attitudes among Chaldean Americans, an ethnoreligious minority from northern Iraq, remain uncharacterized.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate attitudes toward cosmetic and reconstructive surgery within the Chaldean American community and identify associated cultural, religious, and demographic factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional Qualtrics survey was administered to US Chaldean Americans (age ≥18). Participants were recruited through snowball sampling in metropolitan Detroit. Data on demographics, previous procedures, surgical interest, gender preferences, and religious influence were analyzed using descriptive statistics and sex-based comparisons.
Results: Among 104 respondents (54.8% women, 45.2% men; mean age 27.1), 22.1% reported a previous cosmetic procedure. Women were significantly more likely than men to have had a procedure (31.6% vs 10.6%, P = .008) and expressed higher overall interest in future surgery (P < .001). Rhinoplasty was the most common procedure among respondents who had undergone cosmetic surgery (65.2%). Men significantly preferred male surgeons for both cosmetic and reconstructive cases (P < .001). Religion was cited as a conflicting factor by 35.6% of respondents, with men more likely to report religious influence (P = .007). Women demonstrated greater support for all forms of postmastectomy breast reconstruction (P = .0017).
Conclusions: In this exploratory survey of Chaldean Americans, attitudes toward plastic surgery varied according to sex and religious beliefs. The prominence of rhinoplasty among respondents parallels trends described in other Middle Eastern populations. Although these findings are not necessarily generalizable to all Chaldean Americans, they provide preliminary insights that may assist surgeons in delivering culturally informed care and support future research in this understudied population.
Level of Evidence: 3 (Therapeutic): For image description, please refer to the figure legend and surrounding text.
Related
- Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: A Contemporary Narrative Review of Current Evidence and Clinical Applications.
- Evolution of Surgical Flap Delay and Conditioning in Reconstructive Surgery
- Perfusion and neuro-functional evaluation of new methods for protection from ischemia–reperfusion injury in microvascular reconstructive post-oncologic surgery
- Thirteen Years of Reconstructive Breast Surgery in a Korean Tertiary Practice: Procedure Spectrum, Shifting Practice, and Modality Selection in 2216 Patients
- Rising Use of Reconstructive Cartilage Procedures of the Knee With Persistently Low Surgical Complication Rates Based on the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.
BibTeX
@article{bohler2026chaldean,
title = {{Chaldean American Views on Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery}},
author = {Forrest Bohler and Tamara Attisha and Tyler J Attisha and Tristan Attisha and Elliott Gappy and Sean P Chaiyasate and Varna Taranikanti},
journal = {Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Open Forum},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/asjof/ojag194},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/asjof/ojag194},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Chaldean American Views on Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
AU - Forrest Bohler
AU - Tamara Attisha
AU - Tyler J Attisha
AU - Tristan Attisha
AU - Elliott Gappy
AU - Sean P Chaiyasate
AU - Varna Taranikanti
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/10
JO - Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Open Forum
DO - 10.1093/asjof/ojag194
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/asjof/ojag194
AB - Background: Cultural and religious beliefs influence perceptions of plastic surgery, yet attitudes among Chaldean Americans, an ethnoreligious minority from northern Iraq, remain uncharacterized. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate attitudes toward cosmetic and reconstructive surgery within the Chaldean American community and identify associated cultural, religious, and demographic factors. Methods: A cross-sectional Qualtrics survey was administered to US Chaldean Americans (age ≥18). Participants were recruited through snowball sampling in metropolitan Detroit. Data on demographics, previous procedures, surgical interest, gender preferences, and religious influence were analyzed using descriptive statistics and sex-based comparisons. Results: Among 104 respondents (54.8% women, 45.2% men; mean age 27.1), 22.1% reported a previous cosmetic procedure. Women were significantly more likely than men to have had a procedure (31.6% vs 10.6%, P = .008) and expressed higher overall interest in future surgery (P < .001). Rhinoplasty was the most common procedure among respondents who had undergone cosmetic surgery (65.2%). Men significantly preferred male surgeons for both cosmetic and reconstructive cases (P < .001). Religion was cited as a conflicting factor by 35.6% of respondents, with men more likely to report religious influence (P = .007). Women demonstrated greater support for all forms of postmastectomy breast reconstruction (P = .0017). Conclusions: In this exploratory survey of Chaldean Americans, attitudes toward plastic surgery varied according to sex and religious beliefs. The prominence of rhinoplasty among respondents parallels trends described in other Middle Eastern populations. Although these findings are not necessarily generalizable to all Chaldean Americans, they provide preliminary insights that may assist surgeons in delivering culturally informed care and support future research in this understudied population. Level of Evidence: 3 (Therapeutic): For image description, please refer to the figure legend and surrounding text.
SN - 2631-4797
ER -