• The most notable changes in number of patients from 1999 to 2000 are in the following types of procedures:
  • Increases
    • Cheek augmentation has more than doubled since 1999 (increased 113 percent).
    • Hair transplant patients have increased 59 percent.
    • Chin augmentation also has seen a significant increase (26 percent more patients).

  • Decreases
    • Chemical peels have seen a dramatic decrease in the number of patients since 1999 — from 174 to 113 on average.
    • Filler injections (e.g., Collagen, Cymetra) also have decreased.

• Women continue to be the most likely candidates for cosmetic facial plastic surgery — 75 percent of all procedures are performed on women.
  • These procedures tend to be cosmetic, rather than reconstructive, in nature.
  • The most common cosmetic surgical procedures undergone by women are blepharoplasty and rhinoplasty (average of 91 and 44 patients per surgeon that performed at least one procedure in 2000, respectively). The most common non-surgical cosmetic procedures are microdermabrasion (148 patients), chemical peels (100 patients), Botox (64 patients) and filler injections (61 patients).
  • Among male patients, rhinoplasty (28 patients) and blepharoplasty (26 patients) are the most common cosmetic procedures.

• The number of patients undergoing rhinoplasty has increased by 39 percent since 1997. The number has increased by 64 percent for men and 38 percent for women.
  • Interestingly, there are virtually equal numbers of male and female skin cancer reconstruction patients in 2000.

• In addition, the number of procedures has increased since 1997 for both men (+49 percent) and women (+64 percent).
  • Most cosmetic surgery patients fall within the ages of 40 to 59, accounting for 49 percent of all patients undergoing a cosmetic procedure (surgical and non-surgical) in 2000.

• There is a rise in the number of procedures performed on teenagers (4.4 percent of all patients in 2000 versus 2.5 percent in 1999), yet the overall proportion of procedures performed on teenagers is very low.

• Most procedures are performed on Caucasians, and both reconstructive and combination surgery have seen slight increases.
  • There are some increases since 1999 on surgery among Hispanics.

• Surgeons in the Western United States report the lowest average number of patients for each specific procedure, compared to surgeons from other regions in the United States.

• The most popular season for facial plastic surgery is winter.
  • Laser surgery, blepharoplasty and chemical peels are most popular in winter.
  • Otoplasty and rhinoplasty are most common in the summer.
  • Botox is most commonly performed in spring.

• Nearly half of the patients (47 percent of women and 46 percent of men) tell their surgeons that looking younger is the reason for wanting to undergo facial plastic surgery.
  • Men are more likely than women (33 percent vs. 19 percent, respectively) to say they want facial plastic surgery for work-related reasons.

• On average, each surgeon claims to have seen 44 patients in 2000 that traveled at least 50 miles to have their procedure.
  • Most common reasons for traveling include a perceived lack of quality physicians close to the patient's home, the need for a comfortable vacation-like setting, and the cost.

• AAFPRS surgeons state that most of their referrals are from patients who are pleased with their work — they do not necessarily rely on PR, marketing or other forms of advertising for new business.

Skin Replacement Treatment Offers Less Pain, Faster Recovery

November 7, 2001 — Recovering from the aftermath of burn injuries can be faster and less painful, thanks to a new skin replacement treatment. The treatment increases range-of-motion and significantly decreases pain and time spent in therapy, according to a study presented today at the 70th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) in Orlando, Fla.

Burn victims often have limited motion in the burn area because of scar contracture or tightness caused from a shortage of skin. This can be surgically treated through transplantation of skin from other areas of the body or use of skin replacement material.

A new skin replacement material of donated human tissue provides patients with increased range-of-motion, less postoperative pain, and fewer postoperative therapy appointments than traditional skin transplantation methods.

"The donated tissue technique will change burn-patient care," explained Rajiv Sood, M.D., associate professor of plastic surgery, Indiana Medical University in Indianapolis. "Skin damage from burns significantly affects muscle and joint function. Not only do patients return to normal life faster, but they no longer need to take the skin from another area of their body."

Dr. Sood studied four patients, each with contracture from burns. The patients bent their arms an average of 89 degrees and raised their arms an average of 81 degrees before the skin replacement treatment. After treatment, patients could bend their arms an average of 151 degrees and raise them 153 degrees. These patients were compared with others who underwent traditional treatment with skin grafts, who bent their arms 22 degrees less and raised them 44 degrees less than those who received preserved human skin. After comparison Dr. Sood found that patients who received the preserved human skin not only achieved better range of motion, but complained less about pain and required significantly fewer physical therapy sessions.

"This treatment also will prove successful to patients with other injuries," said Dr. Sood. "It can be used for skin loss after injury or even tumor removal. The donated skin not only helps restore range-of-motion, but helps reduce scarring and infection."