Number of procedures in 2011: 149,410
An abdominoplasty is a procedure that removes excess or sagging abdominal skin. Generally, a horizontal incision is made above the pubic area or above the belly button, depending where the loose skin resides. To tighten the abdominal wall, the surgeon brings loose underlying tissue and muscle together with sutures. Risks include bleeding, infection, tissue loss along the incision or fluid buildup under the skin.
Is plastic surgery covered by insurance?
One question we receive nearly 100% of the time when meeting with new clients is “will my insurance cover this procedure?” The short answer to that question is both yes AND no. Cosmetic procedures are a no, reconstructive procedures are a yes.
When the plastic surgery procedure is being performed for cosmetic reasons, insurance will not be involved. However, when the surgery is necessary for reconstructive purposes, insurance may partially or fully cover the procedure. Plastic surgery procedures that may be covered by insurance often include breast reconstructive (after a masectomy), tummy tuck surgery (for gastric bypass patients) and eyelid surgery (to correct vision problems).
Will you lose sensation in your breasts or nipples if you get implants?
It is possible to lose nipple sensation after breast augmentation. This loss is more commonly temporary, but there is a reported permanent sensory loss in up to 15% of women with breast implants. The nerve that provides nipple sensation runs along the chest wall as it approaches the side of the breast before it travels up into the breast to the nipple. In order to avoid injuring this nerve during the breast augmentation procedure, surgeons typically use blunt dissection techniques. However, it is still possible that the nerve can be severed and nipple sensation lost.
What are my options if I’m not satisfied with the outcome of my procedure?
This can vary tremendously depending on the circumstance. For example, it can depend on whether the surgery was covered by insurance or completely cosmetic with money out-of-pocket. It also depends on why the patient is dissatisfied. With cosmetic procedures, surgeons will often not charge for any revisions necessary to repair or correct a complication. However, the patient may incur additional facility or anesthesia fees. These issues are dealt with on a case by case basis but we usually try to accommodate our patients to the best of our ability.
14.6 Million Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Procedures Performed in 2012
Courtesy of PlasticSurgery.org
Minimally-Invasive, Facial Rejuvenation Procedures Fuel 5% Growth
As economic indicators such as auto, retail, and home sales saw gains in 2012 – so too did plastic surgery. According to statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), 14.6 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures, including both minimally-invasive and surgical, were performed in the United States in 2012, up 5 percent since 2011. In addition, 5.6 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year, up 1 percent.
“Our annual statistics serve as a snapshot regarding the plastic surgery industry,” said ASPS President Gregory Evans, MD. “For the third consecutive year, the overall growth in cosmetic surgery continues to be driven by a significant rise in minimally-invasive procedures, while surgical procedures remain relatively stable. We are aware, however, that patients who begin with less invasive treatments with a plastic surgeon may opt for more invasive, surgical procedures once required.”
Cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures increased 6 percent, with more than 13 million procedures in 2012. 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)
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)
About Face
Interestingly, facial rejuvenation procedures, both surgical and minimally-invasive, experienced the most growth in 2012. Facelifts and eyelid surgeries were up, while 2012 marked the highest number of botulinum toxin type A (Botox®, Dysport®) injections performed to date. Other facial rejuvenation procedures like soft tissue fillers, laser skin resurfacing (509,000 procedures, up 9 percent) and microdermabrasion also saw sizable increases.
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.
“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, although they saw declines,” said Dr. Evans. “Facial rejuvenation procedures to eradicate wrinkles, refresh, or tighten sagging skin experienced growth, as more consumers chose to maintain or restore a youthful appearance with these procedures.”
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.
“Although breast reduction has many physical and psychological benefits for women with overly large breasts, obstacles remain in acquiring insurance coverage,” said Dr. Evans. “It’s promising to see gains in this and other beneficial, medically necessary surgeries.”
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.
View the 2012 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Statistics report, a blog post authored by ASPS Public Education Chair Committee Chair David Reath, MD, entitled, “ASPS Annual Statistics-Plastic Surgery in 2012,” or to download a “2012 State of Plastic Surgery” infographic.
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 PlasticSurgery.org orFacebook.com/PlasticSurgeryASPS and Twitter.com/ASPS_News.
