American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery Conference

Posted Tuesday, September 11, 2007 to INDUSTRY > Events

Posted by The Original Anti-Aging & Cosmetic Surgery Magazine

In January the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) held their Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

Figures were released by the AACS showing the increase in popularity of cosmetic procedures from 1990 to 1999. Liposuction was the most popular procedure with 599,430 procedures performed, eight times what it was in 1990.

Other dramatic increases in procedures included abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) rising to 87,802, compared to 6,864 in 1990. Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) increased from 82,520 in 1990 to 423)19 last year. Breast augmentation increased to 255,254 from 41,918 and facelift from 36,981 to 224,216. Rhinoplasty (nose surgery) showed the lowest increase over the 10 years, rising only to 171,442 from 89,615.

Non-surgical facial rejuvenation procedures also showed a huge increase. Chemical peels were the most popular, rising from 64,000 in 1990 to nearly 1.5 million last year. other popular skin rejuvenation procedures included 623,588 Botox procedures; 297,635 fat injection treatments; 310,188 laser resurfacings and 433,502 microdermabrasions.

Leading cosmetic surgeons attributed the rise to the following factors:

• Baby boomers reaching middle age
• Increase in disposable income - booming economy
• Greater acceptance of cosmetic surgery as an option to enhance appearance
• Increased competition in cosmetic surgery - causing prices to remain relatively steady
• Less invasive procedures availablewith less downtime

Also presented was a study conducted by Boris Sommer, MD. The study asked 300 liposuction patients, 3 to 25 months post-operatively about issues related to treatment satisfaction and effects of liposuction on body image, social life, professional life and self-confidence.

"The findings of this study show that liposuction positively impacts people's lives," says Dr Sommer. "To combat all the negative media coverage surrounding liposuction, surgeons now have more than just anecdotal information to affirm that the procedure does indeed improve the lives of patients."

The majority, 85%, of patients who underwent tumescent liposuction were happy with the results. Of the 159 respondents, 80% reported tumescent local anesthesia liposuction as a non-stressful procedure. Approximately 40% said liposuction had a positive effect on their social life; 81% indicated a positive effect on their body image; 57% claimed it increased their attractiveness and 20% found it to have a positive effect on their professional life.

The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery consists of professionals dedicated to post-graduate medical education in cosmetic surgery. Its members are dermatologic surgeons, head and neck surgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, cosmetic surgeons, plastic surgeons and other physicians who belong to a board that is part of the American Board of Medical Specialties. AACS is the largest multi-disciplinary medical organization that exclusively devotes its educational efforts to cosmetic surgery. Visit the AACS website at www.cosmeticsurgery.org.

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