More than 17 million cosmetic procedures performed last year in USA

Chicago – A procedural survey conducted by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery says more than 17 million cosmetic surgery procedures were performed in the United States in 2009.

The total number of procedures from this first-time study far surpasses any number that has previously been reported in the U.S. This is the first nationwide survey of its kind done by the AACS. In addition to the annual polling of its own members, the AACS also surveyed random physicians across the country to find out who is performing cosmetic surgery procedures.

The total number of procedures performed by AACS members has increased by eight percent since 2008.

“The cosmetic surgery industry continues to grow at a rate many people never thought it would reach,” said AACS President Mark Berman, MD. “With the aging of the baby boomer generation, I don’t think we’ve come close to hitting the ceiling yet. That 17 million is only going to expand.”

Among AACS member practices, the biggest increase in invasive procedures in the last five years are in blepharoplasty (eyelid lift), abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and rhinoplasty (nose). For less-invasive procedures, the biggest increase over that five-year period is in laser resurfacing, chemical peels and fillers.

For AACS members, rhinoplasty surgeries jumped from 12,460 in 2008 to 21,730 in 2009, a 74 percent increase. Facelifts were also up this year, from 20,478 in ’08 to 34,455 in ’09, a 44 percent spike.

“As the economy recovers slowly but surely, we are seeing patients come back and feel better about doing some things for themselves that maybe they’d been putting off for a while,” Berman said.

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Obesity Associated With Depression and Vice Versa

Chicago — Obesity appears to be associated with an increased risk of depression, and depression also appears associated with an increased risk of developing obesity, according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

“Both depression and obesity are widely spread problems with major public health implications,” the authors write as background information in the article. “Because of the high prevalence of both depression and obesity, and the fact that they both carry an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, a potential association between depression and obesity has been presumed and repeatedly been examined.” Understanding the relationship between the two conditions over time could help improve prevention and intervention strategies.

Floriana S. Luppino, M.D., of Leiden University Medical Center and GGZ Rivierduinen, Leiden, the Netherlands, and colleagues analyzed the results of 15 previously published studies involving 58,745 participants that examined the longitudinal (over time) relationship between depression and overweight or obesity.

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Evaluation of young adults conceived via IVF shows them to be “happy and well adjusted”

A study published on-line this month in the journal Fertility and Sterility shows that young adults conceived via IVF were generally as happy and well adjusted as their peers.

Researchers at Eastern Virginia Medical School’s Jones Institute of Reproductive Medicine questioned a cohort of young adults conceived in that program’s clinic between 1981 and 1990. The Jones Institute was a pioneering center for reproductive medicine, achieving the first IVF birth in the United States in 1981. Researchers contacted the young adults via their parents and received a 31 percent (n=173) response rate to their 90 item questionnaire.

The results showed that when compared to other young adults, the IVF conceived were found to be “healthy and well adjusted with no prevalence of increased susceptibility to chronic diseases.” However the reported incidence of clinical depression and especially ADD/ADHD were higher among IVF offspring.

“This is a significant study and one of a number of long term outcomes studies that are currently being done.” Said James Goldfarb, President of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART). “It is comforting to see that the data bears out what we have believed, that children conceived via IVF are generally as healthy as other children, even as those children become adults. While the findings of increased depression and ADD/ADDH is notable, other studies have not shown these increases. We need to continue to do the research that will allow us to discover if there are any areas of concern for IVF children. ” Dr. Goldfarb added.

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How to lower childhood obesity

Family meals, adequate sleep and limited TV may lower childhood obesity

Columbus, Ohio – A new national study suggests that preschool-aged children are likely to have a lower risk for obesity if they regularly engage in one or more of three specific household routines: eating dinner as a family, getting adequate sleep and limiting their weekday television viewing time.

In a large sample of the U.S. population, the study showed that 4-year-olds living in homes with all three routines had an almost 40 percent lower prevalence of obesity than did children living in homes that practiced none of these routines.

Other studies have linked obesity to the individual behaviors of excessive TV viewing, a lack of sleep and, to a lesser extent, a low frequency of family meals. But this is the first study to assess the combination of all three routines with obesity prevalence in a national sample of preschoolers.

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Plastic Surgery Statistics: Male Breast Reduction nearly doubles in 2009 in UK

Despite Recession 36,482 Aesthetic Surgery Procedures Took Place in the UK

London, UK – The economy may have been sagging but the nation still found ways to remain uplifted during 2009, according to the latest audit figures from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (www.baaps.org.uk), the not-for-profit organisation established for the advancement of education and practice of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery for public benefit. The number of surgical procedures last year exceeded 36,400 –a slow but steady rise of 6.7% from 2008, despite the financial downturn. The most impressive stats have been recorded specifically in male surgery, the demand for which has grown by 21% overall, with the number of gynaecomastia (or ‘man-boob’) ops alone having shot up by 80%.

Highlights:

* 36,482 surgical procedures were carried out by BAAPS members in 2009, a 6.7% increase from 2008, when 34,187 were performed
* Women had 32,859 procedures in 2009, up from 31,183 (a modest increase of over 5%) but interest in male surgery far outstripped them with a 21% rise overall (from 3,004 last year to 3,623)
* The number of male breast reduction or gynaecomastia ops (‘man boobs’) nearly doubled from 323 to 581, a staggering 80% increase and moving from 5th most popular procedure for men to 3rd
* Breast reduction surgery proved popular among women as well, rising by 17% from 3522 to 4122
* Male brow lifts rose quite considerably (up 51%), from 72 to 109, as well as male facelifts which went up by nearly a quarter (23%) and male tummy tucks (up 20%)
* Rhinoplasty (or ‘nose jobs’) proved very popular with both sexes, increasing by 25% overall, thus rising from 7th most popular procedure to 5th
* Although facelifts actually fell in demand by 8% among women, the steadfast rise in brow lifts, eyelid surgery and nose jobs suggests patients may have sought cheaper and more targeted rejuvenation procedures
* Breast augmentation remains the most popular procedure with 8,565 performed this year (up just 1% from 2008)

Before and after a male breast reduction surgery (gynecomasty)

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Society more open than ever about cosmetic surgery

Consumer survey results indicate ‘having work done’ not taboo anymore

Chicago – Cosmetic surgery is everywhere these days: TV, magazines, Internet and more. And according to new data, society is indeed more comfortable talking about cosmetic surgery than ever before.

In a survey released today by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, 71 percent of respondents think society is less judgmental about cosmetic surgery than it was just five years ago. Furthermore, about 62 percent said society’s attitude toward cosmetic surgery made them feel more comfortable about getting a procedure.

Before and after a tummy tuck surgery

“This is a confirmation of what many of us have felt for a long time – that cosmetic surgery has become mainstream,” said Dr. Mark Berman, AACS President-Elect. “A variety of factors have contributed to the normalization of our industry, but the bottom line is that people are not afraid to talk openly about cosmetic surgery anymore.”

According to the survey, the most accepted invasive procedures are breast augmentation (42.4%), facelift (32.2%) and tummy tuck (32.1%). Among non-invasive procedures, the most accepted are laser hair removal (61.9%) and Botox (61.6%). Additionally, 52 percent of respondents said they would tell family about having invasive cosmetic surgery.

Before and after a breast augmentation surgery

About 20 percent said they would consider getting cosmetic surgery in the future, while about 22 percent were unsure if they would. Respondents under the age of 40 were nearly twice as likely to consider having a procedure in the future.

“It’s been a long road but thanks to the hard work of so many, cosmetic surgery is rightfully gaining acceptance in our society,” said Dr. Patrick McMenamin, AACS President. “We’ve reached a point where people are no longer quiet about having a cosmetic procedure and that is important to all of us.”

Before and after a facelift surgery (rhytidectomy)

Source: American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery

Nationwide Survey Shows Americans Oppose a Cosmetic Tax

$5.8 Billion Tax Targets Middle Class – Mostly Working Women

Arlington Heights, Ill. – A majority of Americans oppose the inclusion of a five percent tax on cosmetic medical procedures, according to a survey. Survey respondents oppose the cosmetic tax by a 52% – 43% margin.

According to the survey, a large majority of respondents, by a 64% – 34% margin, agree that the cosmetic medical procedures tax has no place in health care reform, since these procedures and treatments are not covered by health insurance and the tax will disproportionately impact middle class women.

“It is clear from these results that Americans disagree with this proposed tax,” said Michael McGuire, MD, President of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). “Taxing medical procedures sets a dangerous precedent by inviting the Internal Revenue Service into the physician-patient relationship, and allowing the government to make decisions regarding medical necessity.”

The tax on cosmetic medical procedures was not included in any of the five health reform bills developed and debated in Senate and House Committees. According to the Congressional Budget Office, it is projected to raise approximately $5.8 billion over ten years toward the $856 billion price tag for the proposed Senate health reform bill. However, a similar tax in New Jersey has realized less than one-third of the anticipated revenue and an independent audit of the New Jersey system found that it took $3.39 in expenditures just to collect a single dollar in tax — making a cosmetic tax not only a bad idea but an unreliable way to fund health reform.

According to the survey, there is no significant difference between men and women in their opposition to the proposed tax. On the other hand, respondents over the age of 45 are much more likely to oppose the tax, with opposition increasing among older respondents.

The survey further demonstrates that, by a 49% – 30% margin, respondents were more likely to oppose the tax once informed that sixty percent of all people planning to have cosmetic medical procedures report a household income of between $30,000 and $90,000.

“These numbers confirm what ASPS has been saying all along, that many people mistakenly believe that this is a luxury tax,” Dr. McGuire said. “But in fact, it is a tax on the middle class — despite President Obama’s direct campaign promise not to raise taxes on this group of Americans.”

This survey was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation among a national probability sample of 1,014 adults comprising 506 men and 508 women 18 years of age and older, living in private households in the continental United States. Interviewing was completed during the period December 3-6, 2009.?

Source: ASPS

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Overweight children may develop back pain and spinal abnormalities

Chicago – Being overweight as a child could lead to early degeneration in the spine, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

“This is the first study to show an association between increased body mass index (BMI) and disc abnormalities in children,” said the study’s lead author, Judah G. Burns, M.D., fellow in diagnostic neuroradiology at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York City.

In this retrospective study, Dr. Burns and colleagues reviewed MR images of the spines of 188 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 20 who complained of back pain and were imaged at the hospital over a four-year period. Trauma and other conditions that would predispose children to back pain were eliminated from the study.

The images revealed that 98 (52.1 percent) of the patients had some abnormality in the lower, or lumbar, spine. Most of those abnormalities occurred within the discs, which are sponge-like cushions in between the bones of the spine. Disc disease occurs when a bulging or ruptured disc presses on nerves, causing pain or weakness.

“In children, back pain is usually attributed to muscle spasm or sprain,” Dr. Burns said. “It is assumed that disc disease does not occur in children, but my experience says otherwise.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 percent of U.S. children (age 6 – 11) and 18 percent of U.S. adolescents (age 12 -19) are overweight. BMI, a mathematical ratio of body weight and height, is a widely used measurement for obesity. Lower BMI is associated with being underweight or a healthy body size; higher BMI scores are associated with being overweight or obese. Children above the 85th percentile are generally classified as overweight or at risk of being overweight.

The researchers were able to determine an age-adjusted BMI for 106 of the total 188 patients. Fifty-four had BMI greater than the 75th percentile for age. Thirty-seven (68.5 percent) of these children showed abnormal findings on their spine MRI. Fifty-two patients fell into the lowest three quartiles. Only 18 (34.6 percent) of the children at or below a healthy weight had an abnormal MRI of the spine.

“We observed a trend toward increased spine abnormality with higher BMI,” Dr. Burns said. “These results demonstrate a strong relationship between increased BMI in the pediatric population and the incidence of lumbar disc disease.”

According to Dr. Burns, data revealed in the study could signal a significant public health problem given the health costs of back pain in the U.S.

“Back pain causes significant morbidity in adults, affecting quality of life and the ability to be productive,” he said.

Source: Radiological Society of North America

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