Social media in surgery: Navigating evidence, sensationalism, and stewardship

The integration of digital media into academic medicine began in the early 2000s, when physicians started using blogs and online forums to share case studies, research findings, and professional insights beyond traditional academic publishing formats. 1 With the advent of social media (SoMe), these efforts evolved into a multimodal communication ecosystem, enabling physicians to network, promote clinical practices, and disseminate a wide range of content (Figure 1).Today, nearly 90% of physicians use some form of SoMe for personal purposes, and approximately 65% engage with these platforms professionally. 1 A variety of platforms serve different professional needs, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, Linke-dIn, and ResearchGate.Among these, X has emerged as the most widely used SoMe platform in the health care field. 2 Its relevance increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, when residency programs created official accounts to improve outreach and communication with prospective applicants. 3Among X's defining features is its use of hashtags, which make content easily searchable and accessible to broader audiences.For instance, the hashtag #SoMe4Surgery was used 323,268 times between July 2018 and December 2020, helping surgeons connect, collaborate, and engage in academic discourse across geographic and hierarchical boundaries. 4dditionally, the term Twimpact factor was coined to reflect the early engagement and citation of articles shared on X. 5 YouTube is another widely utilized platform, especially for educational purposes.It attracts a diverse audience, including physicians, trainees, medical students, and even patients.In 2020, 40.8% of US adults reported watching health-related videos on YouTube. 6Trainees and students often turn to the platform to learn procedural techniques and complex anatomy, whereas patients use it to better understand their diagnoses, treatment options, and prognoses.The rise in engagement and ease of access could serve as an important avenue for advancing public health literacy.The implications of social media are particularly profound in the field of thoracic surgery.The technical complexity, use of visual learning, and rapid advancements in thoracic surgery make SoMe a valuable tool for education, collaboration, and dissemination.Platforms such as X and The Cardiothoracic Surgery Network (CTSNet) allow thoracic surgeons to share operative techniques and engage in learning on a global scale.However, this increasing social media presence also raises concerns about regulatory oversight, content accuracy, and professional stewardship.As SoMe continues to influence how thoracic surgery is taught, perceived, and practiced, it is crucial to establish a framework that balances these innovations with responsibility.We aimed to explore the influence of SoMe in thoracic surgery, its pitfalls, and various considerations to ensure the responsible use of SoMe within thoracic surgery.