ASAPS releases expanded 2014 data for Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank

Americans spent more than $12 billion each calendar year for 2013 and 2014 on combined surgical and nonsurgical procedures, representing the most money spent on elective aesthetic cosmetic procedures since 2008, according to the recently released data from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank Statistics report.

With the assistance of an independent research firm, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) compiled 18-year national data for procedures performed between 1997 and 2014 through questionnaires sent to 30,000 board-certified physicians. Nine hundred and one physicians returned the questionnaires, of whom 786 were active respondents, comprising 317 plastic surgeons, 315 dermatologists and 154 otolaryngologists. Final figures were projected to depict nationwide statistics based exclusively on these three specialty areas, according to the ASAPS.

Liposuction was reported to be the most popular surgical procedure in 2014, with 342,494 procedures performed. Breast augmentation was the second most popular with 286,694 procedures performed.

Two procedures greatly increased in 2014, according to the report: buttock augmentation, with an 86% increase, and labiaplasty, with a 49% increase.

“It is always interesting to see the growth in some of the less-frequently performed procedures, such as gluteal augmentation and labiaplasty,” James C. Grotting, MD, president-elect of the ASAPS, told Healio.com/Aesthetics. “I think this reflects a greater interest in these procedures by patients, and also better training and willingness to undertake them by board-certified plastic surgeons.”

James C. Grotting

Nonsurgical fat-reduction procedures increased by 43% overall, according to the report.

Although breast augmentation decreased in 2014, breast revision increased 30%, which the ASAPS attributed to a greater understanding that implants are not lifetime devices.

Other top cosmetic surgical procedures performed in 2014 were eyelid surgeries, with 165,714 procedures performed; tummy tucks, with 164,021 procedures performed; and nose surgery, with 145,909 procedures performed.

Botulinum toxin topped the list for most-popular nonsurgical procedures at 3,588,218 procedures, whereas hyaluronic acid was the second most popular at 1,696,621.

“The statistics serve as an eye-opener to the aesthetic procedures available today. When consumers see that more people are undergoing certain procedures that were once considered taboo, they are more open to considering the procedure for themselves and the stigma is also diminished,” Michael Edwards, MD, President of the ASAPS, told Healio.com/Aesthetics.

Michael Edwards

Male cosmetic procedures have increased by more than 273% since 1997, making up more than 1 million procedures, or 10% of the total procedures performed, according to the report. Liposuction, nose surgery, eyelid surgery, male breast reduction and facelift rounded out the top-five surgical procedures for men.

Patients between the ages of 35 and 50 years had the most procedures performed, with more than 4.2 million procedures, or 40.1% of the total. Thirty-one percent of the procedures performed were in patients ages 51 to 64 years; 17.2% were performed in patients 19 to 34; and those ages 65 and older had 10.4% of the procedures performed. Patients ages 18 and younger had 1.3%.

Most cosmetic surgeries were performed in an office facility at 56.3%, free-standing surgical centers completed 26% and hospitals performed 17.2%.

“Because we have been collecting these statistics for such a long period of time, we can accurately show trends and almost predict what is going to be happening years down the line. In the future, we will also be able to show patient-reported outcomes of these procedures, Grotting said. “In that way, we can really learn what procedures are safest and have the best long-term results.” – by Abigail Sutton

Reference: www.surgery.org.