The ASPS annual statistics are in: Plastic Surgery in 2012

Being part of the prestigious American Society of Plastic Surgeons, we are required to send in our case numbers each year, to compile the national statistics about the number and variety of plastic surgery procedures that were performed in the previous year.

As economic indicators such as auto, retail, and home sales saw gains in 2012 – so too did plastic surgery. Cosmetic procedures in total were up 5%. There was a 2% decrease in cosmetic surgical procedures, but this was offset by a 6% increase in minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures. Reconstructive procedures were up 1% over 2011.

Female cosmetic breast surgeries such as breast augmentation, as well as body contouring procedures like tummy tucks, were some of the most popular procedures performed in 2012.

The biggest increases last year were in facial rejuvenation procedures, and mainly non-surgical procedures. The top five minimally-invasive procedures were:

Botulinum toxin type A (6.1 million procedures, up 8 percent)
Soft tissue fillers (2 million procedures, up 5 percent)
Chemical peel (1.1 million procedures, up 2 percent)
Laser hair removal (1.1 million procedures, up 4 percent)
Microdermabrasion (974,000 procedures, up 8 percent)

Fillers, the most popular one being hyaluronic acids (Juvederm®, Perlane®, and Restylane®), are up 5%. And botulinum toxins (Botox® and Dysport®) increased 8%, soaring past six million procedures for the first time ever. There were also big upswings in light based therapies: both laser resurfacing and intense pulsed light. And chemical peels? Up as well: 2%. As people want to improve facial appearance with less down time, these minimally-invasive procedures really fit the bill. With respect to surgery for the face, there were significant increases in facelifts and eyelid surgeries.

Cosmetic surgical procedures decreased 2 percent, with nearly 1.6 million procedures in 2012. The top five surgical procedures were:

Breast augmentation (286,000 procedures, down 7 percent)
Nose reshaping (243,000 procedures, no change)
Liposuction (202,000 procedures, down 1 percent)
Eyelid surgery (204,000 procedures, up 4 percent)
Facelift (126,000 procedures, up 6 percent)
Cosmetic Breast Surgery
Female cosmetic breast surgeries such as breast augmentation and breast lifts (89,000 procedures, down 2 percent) dropped last year, while male breast reduction (gynecomastia) shot up. Nearly 21,000 male breast reductions were performed, up 5 percent.

Reconstructive plastic surgery, which improves function and appearance to abnormal structures, increased 1 percent in 2012. The top five reconstructive procedures were:

Tumor removal (4.2 million, up 1 percent)
Laceration repair (291,000, down 4 percent)
Maxillofacial surgery (209,000, up 7 percent)
Scar revision (171,000, down 2 percent)
Hand surgery (123,000, up 3 percent)

Reconstructive breast reduction rates continue to rise, with more than 68,000 procedures performed last year, up 8 percent.

About ASPS
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the world’s largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Representing more than 7,000 Member Surgeons, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 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. ASPS advances quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery.
You can learn more and visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at https://www.plasticsurgery.org or https://www.facebook.com/plasticsurgeryasps.

Dr. Hayley Brown MD, FACS
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Desert Hills Plastic Surgery Center serving Henderson and Las Vegas, Nevada

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