Cosmetic Surgery Procedures Up 5% In 2011

Cosmetic surgery procedures are on the rise for the second year in a row, according to new statistics from The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

About 14 million procedures were performed in the United States in 2011, up 5% from 2011. In addition, 5.5 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year, also up 5%.

“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, in a press release. “Consumer confidence was up, auto sales rose 10%, so it is not surprising that we would also see increased demand for plastic surgery procedures.”

In 2011, cosmetic surgical procedures increased 2%, with nearly 1.6 million procedures in 2011.

The top five surgical procedures were:

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

This is the first time that facelifts have made the top five list since 2004, replacing tummy tucks. The rate of chin augmentation, popular with men, nearly doubled in 2011, with 21,000 procedures performed, up 71% from 2010. Lip augmentation also increased by just shy of 50%, with more than 25,000 procedures performed in 2011.

Cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures increased 6%, 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%)
• Soft tissue fillers (1.9 million procedures, up 7%)
• Chemical peel (1.1 million procedures, down 3%)
• Laser hair removal (1.1 million procedures, up 15%)
• Microdermabrasion (900,000 procedures, up 9%)

Soft tissue fillers like hyaluronic acid 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%; 286,000 calcium hydroxylapatite procedures, up 36 percent; and 68,000 fat injections, up 19%.

The top five reconstructive procedures were:

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

Breast reconstruction rates continue to rise, with more than 96,000 procedures performed last year, up 3% 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,” says 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.”

The new statistics are based on procedural information reported through the first online national database for plastic surgery procedures, Tracking Operations and Outcome for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS). This data is combined with the annual survey sent to American Board of Medical Specialties certified physicians most likely to perform these procedures.

Source: ASPS