Category: Body Contouring

You can lose a significant amount of weight with Bariatric procedures such as lap-band surgery, but losing that much weight may leave you with loose and sagging skin. For many weight loss patients, a body lift and other skin tightening procedures are needed to reshape the body and create more youthful contours. Even if you… Continue Reading »

New ASPS statistics show “chinplants” are fastest growing procedure

New statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) show that chin augmentation is the fastest growing plastic surgery trend among all major demographics — a phenomenon which appears, in part, to be sparked by increased usage of video chat technology, an aging baby boomer population and a desire for success in the workplace.

Chin augmentation grew more than breast augmentation, Botox® and liposuction combined in 2011. The procedure skyrocketed in both women and men, as well as in all patients over the age of 20, with the largest increase seen in patients age 40 or older.

Chin Augmentation By The Numbers:

“The chin and jawline are among the first areas to show signs of aging. People are considering chin augmentation as a way to restore their youthful look just like a facelift or eyelid surgery,” said ASPS President Malcolm Z. Roth, MD. “We also know that as more people see themselves on video chat technology, they may notice that their jawline is not as sharp as they want it to be. Chin implants can make a dramatic difference.”

As a manager for a major software company, Lizette Stephens often finds herself face-to-face with people all over the world. And while she loves how technology keeps her in touch, she didn’t always like how it made her look.

“I do a lot of video chats and I’m in a lot of photos and noticed that my double chin was very pronounced. It really, really bothered me. I wanted to do something about it to get a more profound profile and more definition in my chin area,” said Stephens.

Stephens received a chin implant from Darrick Antell, MD, an ASPS Member Surgeon based in New York City. Dr. Antell, who has studied the profiles of many CEOs, said, “We know that CEOs tend to be tall, attractive, good-looking people. We now know that these people also tend to have a stronger chin. As a result, people subconsciously associate a stronger chin with more authority, self-confidence and trustworthiness.”

Factors like wanting a competitive advantage in the workforce may lead people to consider a variety of cosmetic facial procedures. The following are additional cosmetic procedures that saw an increase in popularity in 2011:

• Lip augmentation: 49% increase
• Cheek implant: 47% increase
• Laser skin resurfacing: 9% increase
• Soft tissue fillers: 7% increase
• Facelift: 5% increase

For more statistics released today on trends in plastic surgery including gender, age, regional, national average fees and other breakouts, view the ASPS 2011 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Procedural Statistics report.

Bariatric surgery patients can benefit by consulting a plastic surgeon as a part of their surgical preparation or recovery. Though each patient’s case is unique, many who chose to have bariatric surgeries such as the Lap Band procedure may eventually lose enough weight that their remaining skin cannot keep up. In these cases, a variety… Continue Reading »

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.