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Wednesday, March 21, 2012
The Most Common Cosmetic Procedures of 2011
Almost 9.2 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States in 2011, and Americans spent nearly $10 billion on cosmetic procedures last year.
These are some of the key findings in the new statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).
Cosmetic surgical procedures increased almost 1% since 2010, while minimally invasive procedures decreased almost 2% in the same time period.
This is the 15th year the ASAPS has tracked plastic surgery. Since 1997, cosmetic procedures have increased 197% for men and women combined — and there have been some changes over the years.
“Surgery seems to be slowly coming back,” says ASAPS President Jeffrey M. Kenkel, MD. He is a professor and vice chairman of the department of plastic surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Noninvasive procedures such as injectables do have a role, but individuals are looking for more durable results, says Kenkel.
One of the reasons that the numbers are creeping up is that people need to stay in the work force longer, which means that they must compete with their younger counterparts for the same jobs, he says.
Liposuction topped the list of most popular plastic surgeries in 2011, and injections of botulinum toxin type A (including Botox and Dysport) ranked as the top nonsurgical procedures, the new statistics show.
Top Surgical Procedures
According to the new statistics, the top five surgical procedures in 2011 were:
•Liposuction
•Breast augmentation
•Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)
•Eyelid surgery
•Breast lift
Fully two-thirds of women opting for breast augmentation with implants chose silicone-filled breast implants in 2011. Kenkel says this shows that women and plastic surgeons are becoming more comfortable with the safety of these implants.
Due to safety concerns, there was a 14-year ban on the use of silicone breast implants. This ban was lifted in 2006. In a further nod confirming the safety of these implants, the FDA recently approved a new silicone-gel breast implant from Sientra, making it the third company to market these implants in the U.S.
Top Nonsurgical Procedures
In 2011, the top five minimally invasive procedures were:
•Botulinum toxin type A
•Hyaluronic acid-based fillers (for treatment of wrinkles)
•Laser hair removal
•Microdermabrasion
•Intense pulsed light (IPL) treatments (for treatment of skin redness and uneven skin tone)
Women had almost 8.4 million cosmetic procedures in 2011, and men had almost 800,000. The number of cosmetic procedures for men increased over 121% from 1997, which was the year that ASAPS first started tracking these statistics.
Dr. Brian Joseph of Park Avenue Plastic Surgery in Winter Park, just outside of Orlando, FL. routinely performs all of these surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures.
The new statistics were based on questionnaires sent to dermatologists, otolaryngologists, and plastic surgeons. More than 1,100 doctors returned the questionnaires. The final sample included responses from 420 plastic surgeons, 384 dermatologists, and 211 otolaryngologists. Labels: Breast implants, Brian Joseph MD, Plastic Surgery, Silicone Breast Implants, Tummy Tuck, Vaser liposuction
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Dr. Joseph
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3:23 PM
Thursday, March 15, 2012
PIP Breast Implant Crisis
Dr. Caroline Glicksman, a board certified plastic surgeon in New Jersey and breast implant expert says, “Fortunately, very few American women have PIP silicone breast implants.
Fears over the defective implants spread across the world late last year after French health authorities advised 30,000 women to have them removed because of an increased risk of rupture. Reports are now saying between 400,000 and 500,000 women in 65 countries are believed to have implants from PIP, once the world’s third-largest silicone implant producer.
Even more alarming are questions surrounding the type of silicon used in the PIP implants. PIP founder, Jean-Claude Mas, was arrested and charged in France with causing “involuntary injuries”. To cut costs, Mas was making the implants with industrial grade silicone that could cause potential health problems.
Here in the U.S., The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that the PIP saline implants were prone to rupturing and the devices were banned.
In other European countries, according to Patrick Malucci, MD FRCS, a breast implant expert in the U.K., government approval is easier to acquire. The CE Mark, meaning “European Conformity”, is a mandatory mark that means the product is safe and meets the European health and environmental protection legislation. It also means the product can be placed on the market for consumers.
Dr. Malucci says, “What seems to have happened with PIP, is they got their CE approval, then discarded the good silicone and replaced it with illegal non-medical grade silicone. The failure here is that once you get a CE mark, it seems that nobody else checks on you again.”
“Price is still the biggest selling point for cosmetic surgery tourism, but you may be taking unnecessary risks with products or devices that have not been proven safe and effective,” warns Dr. Glicksman.
For worried patients here in the U.S., Dr. William P. Adams Jr., a board certified plastic surgeon in Dallas who specializes in breast augmentation says, “To be clear these implants were never used in any surgeries here in the U.S. but that’s not to say some women in the U.S. don’t have them. If a woman went overseas to have the surgery they should see a board certified plastic surgeon.”
Dr. Glicksman says, “Even though there are many well qualified plastic surgeons outside of the United States, there are countries that just do not have the same level of strict consumer protection that we have here in the United States. If a woman from the U.S. travelled overseas for breast augmentation, she needs to know what type of implant she has.”
According to Glicksman, “Most patients are given an ID card after surgery that identifies the name of their surgeon and the manufacturer. If the procedure was done outside of the United States within the last 10 years, I would recommend locating all medical records, or contacting the clinic where the procedure was done.”
If you are sure that you have PIP implants, Glicksman says, then you have several choices. She states, “While the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (IPRAS) and the European Committee on Consumer Safety is encouraging women with PIP implants to have them removed, in some countries, the medical societies are simply recommending that women visit their plastic surgeon for a checkup.”
Glicksman states that what’s important to remember is that a physical exam alone may not be a reliable way to detect an implant rupture. She says patients who are having symptoms should also undergo radiological tests to look for implant failure.
Labels: Breast implants, Brian Joseph MD, Orlando, PIP Implants, Plastic Surgeon Orlando, Silicone Breast Implants
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Dr. Joseph
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10:00 AM
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