‘Plastic Surgery Procedures’

13.8 Million Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Procedures Performed in 2011

Monday, February 13th, 2012

5 Percent Increase Leads to Second Consecutive Yearly Gain

For Immediate Release: 02/09/2012

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The plastic surgery market continues to show significant growth – two years in a row. According to statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), 13.8 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures (both surgical and minimally-invasive) were performed in the United States in 2011, up 5 percent since 2010. In addition, 5.5 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year, up 5 percent.

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

Cosmetic surgical procedures increased 2 percent, with nearly 1.6 million procedures in 2011. The top five surgical procedures were:

• Breast augmentation (307,000 procedures, up 4 percent)

• Nose reshaping (244,000 procedures, down 3 percent)

• Liposuction (205,000 procedures, up 1 percent)

• Eyelid surgery (196,000 procedures, down 6 percent)

• Facelift (119,000 procedures, up 5 percent)

Facelifts are among the top five cosmetic surgical procedures for the first time since 2004, replacing tummy tucks. Interestingly, a procedure popular with men, chin augmentation, nearly doubled in 2011, with 21,000 procedures performed, up 71 percent. Lip augmentation also rose significantly – up 49 percent, with more than 25,000 procedures performed.

“We are seeing notable increases in surgical procedures, such as facelifts, that reflect the demands of an aging boomer population,” said Dr. Roth. “However, the overall growth in cosmetic procedures is being primarily driven by a substantial rise in minimally-invasive procedures.”

Cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures increased 6 percent, 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 percent)

• Soft tissue fillers (1.9 million procedures, up 7 percent)

• Chemical peel (1.1 million procedures, down 3 percent)

• Laser hair removal (1.1 million procedures, up 15 percent)

• Microdermabrasion (900,000 procedures, up 9 percent)

Soft tissue fillers like hyaluronic acid (Restylane®, Juvederm Ultra®, etc.), calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse®), 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 percent; 286,000 calcium hydroxylapatite procedures, up 36 percent; and 68,000 fat injections, up 19 percent.

Reconstructive plastic surgery, which improves function and appearance to abnormal structures, increased 5 percent in 2011. The top five reconstructive procedures were:

• Tumor removal (4.2 million, up 3 percent)

• Laceration repair (303,000, down 15 percent)

• Maxillofacial surgery (195,000, up 125 percent)

• Scar revision (175,000, up 9 percent)

• Hand surgery (120,000, up 13 percent)

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

ASPS members can report procedural information through the first online national database for plastic surgery procedures, Tracking Operations and Outcome for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS). This data, combined with the annual survey sent to American Board of Medical Specialties certified physicians most likely to perform these procedures, results in the most comprehensive census on plastic surgery.

To view the 2011 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Statistics report, click HERE.  Visitors can also find information about procedures and referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons.

For more information on any of these plastic or reconstructive surgery procedures, contact Dr. Kapp at his West Palm Beach office at (561) 833-4022.

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 cosmetic 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. For more information, please visit www.plasticsurgery.org.

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Plastic Surgery News: Restylane recently received FDA approval for lip augmentation

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

Medicis Aesthetics, the manufacturer of Restylane, recently announced that Restylane has received FDA approval to be used for lip augmentation. Although Restylane has been used extensively for lip augmentation, doing so was considered an off-label indication. Restylane, a hyaluronic acid dermal filler, was first approved in 2005 for mid to deep dermal injection for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds.

An FDA advisory panel had previously voted 6-0 with 1 abstention that the benefits of using Restylane as an injection for lip augmentation outweighed its risks, and that the filler was safe and effective for this indication. The panel reviewed the results of a study of 135 patients who received Restylane and 45 patients with no treatment. Almost all patients (99%) experienced adverse events, which included bruising, redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, itching, and skin exfoliation. Of those who were treated, 15% experienced adverse events (typically swelling and tenderness) that lasted more than 15 days.

Restylane and Juvederm are the most commonly utilized hyaluronic acid fillers in the United States. To learn more about treatments with Restylane and Juvederm, contact Dr. Kapp’s West Palm Beach office at (561) 833-4022.

Restylane

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Patients Under 50 Get Best Long-term Results From Facelift Surgery

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

 

‘Maintenance Facelifts’ in Younger Patients Provide Longest-Lasting Improvements, Authors Suggest

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Dec 21, 2011 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) — Younger patients with “early or minimal signs of facial aging” achieve better results and higher satisfaction rates at least a decade after facelift surgery, according to a study in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery(R), the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

Because of their superior long-term results, patients younger than 50 years old undergoing “maintenance facelifts” should be considered preferable candidates for facial rejuvenation surgery, suggests the new report by Drs. Tom S. Liu and ASPS Member Surgeon John Q. Owsley of California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco.

Patients Under 50 Have Best Long-term Results

In a previous study, researchers found that patients who underwent facelift surgery at older ages had lower satisfaction scores and more variable results, compared to younger patients. For the new study, Drs. Liu and Owsley compared the short-term and long-term patient satisfaction ratings with expert analysis of follow-up photographs. They analyzed differences in long-term outcomes for patients in three age groups: patients younger than 50, 50 to 60 years, and over 60 years old at the time of facelift surgery.

Consistent with the previous study, younger patients had higher and more consistent satisfaction scores at both short- and long-term follow-up. Those subjective ratings were supported by expert analysis of follow-up photos, which showed that patients who underwent facelift surgery before age 50 had “remarkable maintenance of their youthful appearance.”

In contrast, at the time of surgery, patients in the over-60 group already had “significant facial aging changes.” At long-term follow-up, they still looked more youthful than other people of the same age–however, they had signs of “regression” in the five facial areas graded by plastic surgeons. Patients in the 50-to-60 age group had intermediate results.

The patient satisfaction ratings were generally consistent with the expert ratings of before-and-after photographs. On long-term follow-up using a 5-point scale (5 being most satisfied), patients in the under-50 age group continued to rate all facial areas with 4′s and 5′s, compared to 2′s to 5′s for the 50-to-60 group and 2′s and 3′s for the over-60 group.

Younger Patients May Be ‘Preferred’ for Facelift Surgery

Although the study was small, it seems to support the impression of experienced plastic surgeons that “younger patients who have facelifts (<50 years old) have longest lasting results with less noticeable postoperative changes,” according to Drs. Liu and Owsley. Although the visible signs of aging seem mild in patients under 50, they represent the “tip of the iceberg” of the effects of aging underneath the skin. “Although equal in the number of years elapsed, the facial aging of a patient from age 40 to 50 is much less dramatic than the same patient from age 50 to 60,” the researchers add.

Younger patients interested in facial rejuvenation may be steered away from a facelift, or undergo limited or nonsurgical procedures to “buy time.” “However, these…are also the same patients who would benefit most from surgical facial rejuvenation or so-called ‘maintenance facelift,’ the researchers write. Not only will the results last longer, but the initial change is generally less dramatic and noticeable than in older patients.

As a result, Drs. Liu and Owsley believe that patients under 50 should not only be considered for a facelift, but perhaps considered the group most likely to achieve excellent, long-lasting results. As such, they conclude, “a ‘maintenance’ facelift should be offered to and even preferred in younger patients as a surgical option for facial rejuvenation.”

SOURCE: American Society of Plastic Surgeons
 
For more information about facelifts in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Jupiter or Palm Beach Gardens, please call Dr. Daniel Kapp at (561) 833-4022 to schedule a consultation.

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The Best Breast Augmentation Incision

Monday, January 10th, 2011

 

When I read Internet discussions about breast augmentation incisions, the focus is always on the scar. “Which incision will give the best scar?” “Where’s the best place to have the scar?” “Which is the easiest scar to hide?” All of these are reasonable concerns but, in truth, these are rarely the issues in choosing the incision.

There are 4 incisions that are currently used:

1. Under the breast (inframammary)
2. Through the nipple (periareolar)
3. Through the underarm (transaxillary)
4. Through the belly button (transumbilical or TUBA)

In most women, any of these incisions will leave a good scar. If the surgeon keeps the incision reasonably short and closes it meticulously, most will fade to a scar that is thin and relatively hard to see. Having done around a thousand breast augmentations, I can tell you that the scar is almost never an issue after this operation. Regardless of which incision I use.

So if the scar isn’t the issue in choosing the incision, what is?

The real issue is access and, specifically, access to the bottom of the breast. What we do in the lower breast (muscle fiber division, release of fibrous bands in the breast tissue) affects the roundness of the breasts, their perkiness, and the implant position. The closer the incision is to the bottom of the breast, the more fine control I have to execute these advanced maneuvers to shape the breast.

So when I make the incision under the breast or through the nipple, I have excellent access to the bottom of the breast. I can see the area directly. I can touch it to feel for tight spots that need to be released. I can do the most precise work to shape the best breast augmentation results. That’s why the best incisions are under the breast or through the nipple.

If a surgeon uses the underarm approach, he can no longer feel the bottom of the breast. It’s too far away. And unless he uses an endoscopic camera, he can’t even see what he’s doing. This really limits some of the fine control for shaping the lower breast.

The umbilical approach (TUBA) is even worse. This incision is so far away from the breasts that the surgeon has to pass a balloon on a stick up behind the breast and inflate it to make the pocket. Not very precise at all.

Our goal is to create the absolute prettiest breasts possible for you. The inframammary and periareolar are the best incisions for doing that.

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Breast Augmentation: Not nearly as Painful as you think…

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

I’m sure you’ve heard women who have had breast augmentation describing their painful, awful recoveries in graphic detail. “I felt like a truck backed over me.” “It feels like an elephant sitting on my chest.” I hear these same comments when I’m consulting with new patients about breast implants. “My friend had implants and she couldn’t get out of bed for a week and her breasts were black and blue and purple.”

I wonder how many women who would want and benefit from breast augmentation have balked because of stories like these. Probably a lot. Perhaps you’re one of them. It’s sad. Because though I believe those stories and experiences, it doesn’t have to be that way at all.

Here is how my typical patient describes her pain the day after surgery:

“It feels like I worked out too hard yesterday.” Ok, not a pleasant sensation. Tight, sore, uncomfortable. But nothing like an elephant, truck or bowling ball crushing your chest. A discomfort that most of us have experienced and made it through just fine.

Why do some breast augmentation patients have so much less pain than others?

The pain level you experience after breast augmentation depends mostly on what your surgeon does in the operating room. If he or she handles the tissues delicately, you will recover with less pain.

Unfortunately, most breast augmentations are done in a manner that is far from delicate. In most cases, the implant pocket is still made using something called, “blunt dissection.” That means that the surgeon tears the pec muscles off the rib cage. That really hurts. And it bleeds. And it’s not very precise.

The better way to do this is with electrocautery dissection. You can think of the electrocautery as an electric scalpel. The cautery gently divides the attachments between the muscle and the ribs. The current seals the blood vessels so bleeding is minimal. The pocket is opened up gently and precisely.

Electrocautery dissection is why my patients have much less pain after surgery. It’s also why most of them don’t even bruise. The recovery is quicker and easier and the results are prettier and more predictable.

Don’t let fear of pain keep you from breast augmentation. Your recovery won’t be painless but it will be a lot easier than you think.

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