The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) has been collecting procedural data since 1992 and for the first time breast augmentation tops the list of the most popular surgical cosmetic procedures. Approximately 329,000 breast augmentations were performed in 2006, compared to rhinoplasty (307,000) and liposuction (303,000), both of which had been the top two cosmetic procedures since 2000.
Blepharoplasty (233,000) and tummy tucks (146,000) ranked fourth and fifth, respectively. Overall, more than 16 million plastic surgery procedures were performed in the United States in 2006, up seven percent from 2005.
With the approval of silicone implants by the FDA in November 2005, the number of women seeking breast augmentation should continue to rise, although the impact of the FDA’s decision on the number of breast augmentations being performed remains to be seen.
Minimally invasive procedures accounted for 9.1 million of the procedures performed in 2006. The top five minimally invasive procedures were Botox injections (4.1 million), chemical peels (1.1 million), laser hair removal (887,000), microdermabrasion (817,000), and hyaluronic acid fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm (778,000).
The increase in prevalence in bariatric surgery for morbid obesity has also seen a correlated increase in the number of body contouring procedures being performed by plastic surgeons. The number of lower body lifts, including panniculectomies, has increased 4,887 percent since 2000, and 19 percent since 2005. Upper arm lifts have increased 25 percent since 2005, while thigh lifts have increased 29 percent during that same time period.
If you are interested in more information regarding any of the aforementioned procedures, call Dr. Hu, owner of Valencia Plastic Surgery, at 661-222-1122 or visit www.valenciasurgery.com .