From Traditional to Innovative: Social Media Insights on the Changing Preferences for Endoscopic Bariatric Surgery

Aims Understanding public sentiment towards medical procedures through social media analysis provides valuable insights into patient preferences and experiences. Healthcare providers can gauge the sentiment around endoscopic versus traditional bariatric surgeries by examining social media discussions. This analysis helps identify common concerns, positive feedback, and general trends in patient experiences. Such insights are crucial for medical professionals to tailor their approaches, address patient apprehensions, and improve the overall decision-making process in selecting the most suitable bariatric procedure.

Methods We utilized the Twitter API, PHP, and RAI to gather data from platforms like Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, and Facebook. We analyzed the sentiment of tweets using the VADER tool. We compiled descriptive statistics and conducted t-tests to compare positive and negative sentiments. A correlation analysis was used to examine changes in sentiment. All data analysis was carried out using SPSS

Results From December 2015 to March 2024, we collected 5,451,110 responses. Of these, 2,340,200 responses were gathered from December 2015 to November 2021, and 3,110,910 were collected from January 2022 to March 2024. We observed a significant increase in positive sentiment favoring endoscopic bariatric procedures for weight loss as compared to traditional bariatric procedures, rising from 55% in the period 2015-2021 to 69% between 2022-2024 (P=0.032, 95% C).

Conclusions The growing preference for endoscopic bariatric procedures over traditional ones from 2015 to 2024 is marked by a notable shift in public sentiment. Analysis of social media discussions revealed a 14% increase in positive perceptions towards the less invasive endoscopic methods. This change could be attributed to various factors, including perceived safety, recovery speed, and overall satisfaction with outcomes. As medical professionals continue to refine their approach based on patient feedback, the decision-making process becomes more aligned with patient preferences, potentially leading to higher satisfaction and better outcomes

 

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Conflicts of Interest

Authors do not have any conflict of interest to disclose.

Publication History

Article published online:
27 March 2025