Nearly 11 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in the United States in 2006, up 7 percent from 2005, according to statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). In addition, more than 5.2 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year.
?Cosmetic plastic surgery is a good barometer of the local and national economy,? said ASPS President Roxanne Guy, MD. ?The increase in cosmetic plastic surgery procedures mirrors the strong economy, low unemployment levels, and high consumer confidence of 2006.?
Surgical cosmetic procedures increased 2 percent, with more than 1.8 million procedures performed in 2006. The top five surgical procedures were breast augmentation (329,000), nose reshaping (307,000), liposuction (303,000), eyelid surgery (233,000), and tummy tuck (146,000). For the first time, breast augmentation is the most popular surgical procedure since the ASPS began collecting statistics in 1992.
?Breast augmentation has always been among the top five surgical procedures, but until now has never been number one,? said Dr. Guy. ?With the return of silicone breast implants to the U.S. market, it is likely the number of breast augmentations will continue to increase. Some women prefer the look and feel of silicone implants and were waiting for the FDA to make its decision.?
Minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures jumped 8 percent to more than 9.1 million procedures in 2006. The top five minimally-invasive procedures were Botox? (4.1 million), chemical peel (1.1 million), laser hair removal (887,000), microdermabrasion (817,000), and hyaluronic acid fillers (778,000). Hyaluronic acid fillers (Restylane?, Hylaform? and Hylaform Plus?) debuted in the top five, bumping out sclerotherapy (treatment of spider veins) which had been among the top five minimally-invasive procedures for the previous three years.
?Botox continues to dominate the injectables market, while hyaluronic acid fillers like Restylane have increased 59 percent ? more than any other minimally-invasive cosmetic procedure,? said Dr. Guy. ?When it comes to the war on aging, Americans are clearly looking to injectables to help win the battle.?
Reconstructive plastic surgery, which improves function and appearance to abnormal structures, decreased 3 percent in 2006. The top five reconstructive procedures were tumor removal (3.9 million), laceration repair (313,000), scar revision (165,000), hand surgery (156,000) and breast reduction (104,000).
?ASPS attributes the decrease in reconstructive procedures to health insurance crises in the U.S.,? said Dr. Guy. ?More reconstructive patients are being denied coverage or cannot afford the co-payment.?
The ASPS website has statistics from the 2006 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Report, information on procedures and referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons.
ASPS procedural statistics are collected through the first online national database for plastic surgery procedures, Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS). This data, combined with the annual survey sent to American Board of Medical Specialties certified physicians most likely to perform plastic surgery, results in the most comprehensive census on plastic surgery procedures.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world. With more than 6,000 members, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 90 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.