Posts by Jacob Haiavy

5 Percent Increase Leads to Second Consecutive Yearly Gain

The plastic surgery market continues to show significant growth – two years in a row. According to statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), 13.8 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures (both surgical and minimally-invasive) were performed in the United States in 2011, up 5 percent since 2010. In addition, 5.5 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year, up 5 percent.

“While the rate of economic recovery in the U.S. is still uncertain, 2011 proved to be a good year for plastic surgery,” said ASPS President Malcolm Z. Roth, MD. “Consumer confidence was up, auto sales rose 10 percent, so it is not surprising that we would also see increased demand for plastic surgery procedures.”

Cosmetic surgical procedures increased 2 percent, with nearly 1.6 million procedures in 2011. The top five surgical procedures were:

• Breast augmentation (307,000 procedures, up 4 percent)
• Nose reshaping (244,000 procedures, down 3 percent)
• Liposuction (205,000 procedures, up 1 percent)
• Eyelid surgery (196,000 procedures, down 6 percent)
• Facelift (119,000 procedures, up 5 percent)

Facelifts are among the top five cosmetic surgical procedures for the first time since 2004, replacing tummy tucks. Interestingly, a procedure popular with men, chin augmentation, nearly doubled in 2011, with 21,000 procedures performed, up 71 percent. Lip augmentation also rose significantly – up 49 percent, with more than 25,000 procedures performed.

“We are seeing notable increases in surgical procedures, such as facelifts, that reflect the demands of an aging boomer population,” said Dr. Roth. “However, the overall growth in cosmetic procedures is being primarily driven by a substantial rise in minimally-invasive procedures.”

Cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures increased 6 percent, with nearly 12.2 million procedures in 2011. The top five minimally-invasive procedures were:

• Botulinum toxin type A (5.7 million procedures, up 5 percent)
• Soft tissue fillers (1.9 million procedures, up 7 percent)
• Chemical peel (1.1 million procedures, down 3 percent)
• Laser hair removal (1.1 million procedures, up 15 percent)
• Microdermabrasion (900,000 procedures, up 9 percent)

Soft tissue fillers like hyaluronic acid (Restylane^®, Juvederm Ultra^®, etc.), calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse^®), and fat injections experienced some of the largest growth in the minimally-invasive market during 2011. More than 1.3 million hylauronic acid procedures were performed in 2011, up 9 percent; 286,000 calcium hydroxylapatite procedures, up 36 percent; and 68,000 fat injections, up 19 percent.

Reconstructive plastic surgery, which improves function and appearance to abnormal structures, increased 5 percent in 2011. The top five reconstructive procedures were:

• Tumor removal (4.2 million, up 3 percent)
• Laceration repair (303,000, down 15 percent)
• Maxillofacial surgery (195,000, up 125 percent)
• Scar revision (175,000, up 9 percent)
• Hand surgery (120,000, up 13 percent)

Breast reconstruction rates continue to rise, with more than 96,000 procedures performed last year, up 3 percent since 2010.

“While insurance coverage for breast reconstruction is mandated by law, continued strides to provide coverage for other reconstructive procedures has contributed, in part, to the sizable gain that we are seeing with these procedures,” said Dr. Roth. “Reconstructive surgery is a critical pillar of the specialty, and it is encouraging to see that increasing numbers of patients entrust board-certified plastic surgeons to reconstruct their bodies after disease or trauma.”

ASPS members can report procedural information through the first online national database for plastic surgery procedures, Tracking Operations and Outcome for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS). This data, combined with the annual survey sent to American Board of Medical Specialties certified physicians most likely to perform these procedures, results in the most comprehensive census on plastic surgery.

To view the 2011 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Statistics report, visit www.plasticsurgery.org/2011-statistics. Visitors can also find information about procedures and referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons.

Study is first of its kind to assess patient-reported outcomes of procedures to reduce abdominal fat

Arlington Heights, Ill.– Patients undergoing cosmetic liposuction and/or abdominoplasty (“tummy tuck”) procedures report significant improvements in self-esteem and quality of life, according to a study in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

Outcomes are especially good with liposuction plus “tummy tuck,” although they include somewhat higher pain scores and longer recovery times, reports the new study by ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Eric Swanson, MD, a plastic surgeon in private practice in Leawood, Kan.

Study Shows Improved Quality of Life and Other Benefits

Dr. Swanson formally evaluated quality of life and other outcomes in 360 patients undergoing liposuction and/or abdominoplasty to remove excess abdominal fat. About 60 percent of patients underwent liposuction alone, while 35 percent underwent a combination of liposuction and abdominoplasty. The rest underwent abdominoplasty alone.

The patients’ average age was 42 years; 85 percent were women. Thirty percent of patients underwent other cosmetic plastic surgery procedures (such as face lift or breast augmentation) at the same time. Outcomes were assessed an average of four months after surgery.

Patients undergoing liposuction alone had shorter recovery times: average time off work was about six days, compared to 16 days with abdominoplasty (with or without liposuction). The liposuction-only patients also had less discomfort: average pain score 6 out of 10, compared to 7.5 for those undergoing abdominoplasty.

Combined Procedure Yields Best Results

Patients undergoing abdominoplasty rated their cosmetic outcomes higher than others: average score 9 out of 10, compared to 8 out of 10 with liposuction only. Liposuction plus abdominoplasty produced the highest patient satisfaction rate-over 99 percent-with no increase in pain compared to abdominoplasty alone.

Ninety-eight percent of patients undergoing liposuction plus abdominoplasty said they would undergo the procedure again and 99 percent that they would recommend it to others.

Overall, 86 percent of patients reported an improved sense of self-esteem after surgery. About 70 percent reported improved quality of life, more commonly after liposuction plus abdominoplasty.

Quality of life is an increasingly important focus measure of effectiveness for all types of medical and surgical treatments. Even though liposuction and abdominoplasty are among the most frequently performed cosmetic surgery procedures, few studies have formally evaluated their impact on quality of life and other patient-reported outcomes.

“Liposuction and abdominoplasty, individually and in combination, produce high rates of patient satisfaction and reliably improve self-esteem,” Dr. Swanson writes. By formally assessing these important outcomes in a large number of patients, he hopes his study will provide a clearer picture of the expected results and recovery times associated with these widely performed cosmetic surgery procedures.

After losing over 150 pounds following a previous gastric bypass surgery in 1999, Carnie Wilson had a Lap-Band procedure done in January and has lost 30 pounds since the surgery, this Huffington Post article reports. Wilson stated that she wanted the second surgery to get her back on the right path after being unable to… Continue Reading »

Due to the success of the Lap-Band procedure in recent years, in 2011 the FDA approved new guidelines to make it available for a greater number of patients, as reported in this CBS News story. These reduced guidelines mean that over 26 million Americans are now able to undergo a procedure that they were prevented… Continue Reading »

In response to a large number of successful Lap-Band procedures in 18-year old patients, the makers of Lap-Band have applied for FDA approval of Lap-Band surgery on patients over 14 years of age, a recent ABC News story reports. Allergan, the creator of the Lap-Band surgical procedure, only promotes its product for use by patients… Continue Reading »

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