AI in plastic surgery: The future of aesthetic treatments

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming every corner of modern medicine, and plastic surgery is no exception. Over the past several years, we have seen AI-driven tools evolve from simple experimental concepts into well-established, precise technologies that support both clinical decision-making and everyday practice management. These tools are quickly emerging as powerful partners that can elevate accuracy, efficiency and overall patient outcomes, whether AI is used to help analyze images, enhance patient consultations or simply streamline administrative tasks.

So, what are the most meaningful breakthroughs in AI for plastic surgery? How are surgeons integrating these tools into their daily workflows? What does the future hold for AI in the realm of plastic surgery? To learn more about recent advancements in AI and what innovations the future brings, we reached out to ASPS Member Surgeons Johnny Franco, MD, and Roy Kim, MD.

Innovations in practice management

One immediate area that is seeing promising developments for plastic surgeons is that of practice management.

"From a business development perspective, AI is going to help level the playing field a little bit between smaller practices and larger companies," said Dr. Franco. "It can make offices much more efficient – run your P&L (profit and loss) sheets, maximize your marketing spend, handle your scheduling and booking, etc."

That's just scratching the surface of how plastic surgeons are tapping into AI for doing day-to-day tasks in their practices.

"In terms of admin and marketing, I think virtually all plastic surgeons are missing the boat," said Dr. Kim. "If you go into ChatGPT, there are so many GPT brains – Expedia for travel, Canva to help create graphics, marketing GPTs to help craft a plan, presentation GPTs to help make a PowerPoint presentation. Just use ChatGPT to analyze the boring biostatistics from a nerdy academic paper, create your own outline and write out a blog article, video script, audio podcast script, social media captions, write out an academic article – the possibilities are virtually endless."

AI may become revolutionary in the coming year for plastic surgeons operating their practices as small businesses.

"I do think that the AI agents are just going to get better and better," said Dr. Franco. "I think it is going to be interesting to see how this evolves your office workflow. At some point, are you going to just be able to hire high-level employees and use an AI agent for the rest of your tasks? Will it solve call center issues? There is no doubt that this will be instrumental in how plastic surgeons want to set up their office and office flow."

The evolution of learning and research

Another benefit is that AI helps plastic surgeons learn more efficiently.

"OpenEvidence is another great tool that has been truly amazing for any plastic surgeon," said Dr. Franco. "It's free with your NPI (National Provider Identifier), and it only uses peer-reviewed, published articles. You can ask it questions, and it will pull and summarize everything for you, plus give you the link to read the full article. This has cut my research and education time in half!"

AI tools also offer promising advances in data understanding and analysis.

"From an evolution and best practices standpoint, our ability to process data and produce peer-reviewed papers is going to explode," said Dr. Franco. "To be able to pull meaningful data from a huge dataset with AI, you can make real-time decisions and produce real research results."

This boom in learning and research not only benefits surgeons but also patients. With how quickly AI is learning and adapting, there will no doubt be tools developed to help patients select the right surgeon and understand procedures that they are interested in.

"Imagine that if you could easily search the internet for someone who looks exactly like you when thinking about a procedure," said Dr. Franco. "You could see exactly what your 'after' could be! This can also be potentially further applied when looking for the right surgeon. Patients can get an idea of the results that they will get with a particular surgeon or surgeons after a specific procedure. They can then select which best fits with what they are looking for."

A surgeon is still needed to get proper images, but these AI tools are making it easier for patients to view potential outcomes outside a medical office.

"With the guidance or direction of a human doctor, the AI before and after imaging is about the same compared to what we had five years ago," said Dr. Kim. "For example, we have had before and after imaging for breasts, body, face and injectables for several years. I do feel that AI allows patients to use this tech at home more. It helps to lower the cost."

AI's impact on plastic surgery is both profound and meaningful as it becomes increasingly woven into the fabric of modern medicine. From improving workplace efficiency to providing imaging and research analytics, the promise that AI offers is truly astounding. There is no doubt that these tools will continue to evolve to better meet the needs of both surgeons and patients, promising better workflow efficiency for surgeons and better patient outcomes.

To find a qualified plastic surgeon for any cosmetic or reconstructive procedure, consult a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. All ASPS members are board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, have completed an accredited plastic surgery training program, practice in accredited facilities and follow strict standards of safety and ethics. Find an ASPS member in your area.