2009 Plastic Surgery Statistics Released by ASAPS

The overall number of cosmetic procedures in the U.S. decreased by 2 percent in 2009, according to statistics just released by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

According to the society, surgical procedures like breast augmentation, liposuction and abdominoplasty decreased by 17 percent, while non-surgical enhancements such as Botox and Juvéderm increased by 0.6 percent.  “Plastic surgery is feeling the effects of the recession, just like many other sectors of the marketplace,” said ASAPS President Renato Saltz.

The ASAPS survey tabulated responses from 928 board certified physicians to compile the procedure data, which is useful for understanding trends.

Breast Augmentation the Top Cosmetic Surgery in the U.S. for 2009

For the second year in a row, Breast augmentation was the most frequently performed plastic surgery with 311,957 procedures performed. Surgeons have suggested several reasons for the procedure’s continuing success.

In the Wall Street Journal, Dr. Renato Saltz suggests that there may still be some excitement about the reintroduction of silicone gel breast implants.

Dr. Bruce Genter, a Philadelphia plastic surgeon, agrees and says it could also be the relatively quick recovery time of breast augmentation and the “immediate gratification” that patients experience. Also, “there is an overall upbeat aura about breast augmentation that is not pervasive in other cosmetic surgical procedures,” says Genter.

Statistics show another possible reason: the favorability of breast augmentation among younger women.  For patients 19-34 years old, breast augmentation was the top surgery, while patients age 35-50 chose liposuction more frequently.

More 2009 data will be publicized in the coming weeks from other surgery societies, so it will be interesting to compare their findings and discuss the cosmetic trends that emerged during the recession.

Related Procedure: Tummy tuck