ASPS Report Shows Second Year of Consecutive Growth in Plastic Surgery Market

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons released their annual statistics report last week, and it shows that Americans chose 1.6 million procedures last year.

When combined with minimally invasive procedures like Botox or Laser Treatment, the total comes to a much greater 13.8 million procedures.

Based on the latest statistics, the society is reporting a 5 percent increase in procedures for 2011.

Long-term smokers twice as likely to get non-melanoma skin cancer

A study by researchers at the Moffitt Cancer Center and the University of South Florida found that women diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (a common non-melanoma skin cancer) were more likely to have smoked. Subjects who smoked 20 years or more were twice as likely to develop the disease.

Women smokers have higher risk

Both women and men get plenty of exposure to the sun, and men in general are more likely to develop skin cancer. However, for men, the correlation with smoking wasn’t significant. Researchers theorized that perhaps some physiological difference, such as estrogen, makes female smokers at a higher risk for skin cancer.

The researchers recruited 383 patients with skin cancer and 315 without it. All patients had white skin, which puts them at risk for skin cancer.

They asked subjects questions like:

  • How much do you smoke?
  • When did you start smoking?
  • How many years have you smoked?

The researchers found a startling correlation: the more people smoked, the more likely they were to develop non-melanoma skin cancer.

About Skin Cancers

Squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma are common non-melanoma skin cancers. If you suspect skin cancer, a doctor can identify it and order a biopsy to confirm if a growth or lesion is skin cancer. You should always see a doctor if you notice any suspicious growths or changes in your skin.

Plastic surgeons frequently remove skin cancer lesions, while taking extra care to reconstruct the tissue and minimize damage to the skin. Surgical removal is often quick and minimally invasive, but it can leave scars. One of the most common techiques is excision (surgical tissue removal) followed by direct closure.

Read more about the study on smoking and skin cancer from Health Day News.

Photo credit: Smoke by Amagill on Flickr

With consumer confidence rising across the board, the demand for plastic surgery is rising as well.

“Consumer confidence was up and auto sales rose 10 percent,” said ASPS President Malcom Roth, “so it is not surprising that we would also see increased demand for plastic surgery procedures,” he concluded.

Procedures in cosmetic surgery increased 2 percent. For the first time since 2004, facelift surgery is among the top five cosmetic surgeries.

The number of tummy tucks decreased during 2011, while chin augmentation nearly doubled. Here are the top 5 for 2011:

  • 307,000 Breast augmentation procedures
  • 244,000 Rhinoplasty procedures
  • 205,000 Liposuction procedures
  • 196,000 Eyelid surgery procedures
  • 119,000 Facelift procedures

Surgeons also reported a sharp increase in lip augmentation procedures; at more than 25,000 procedures performed, they were up 49 percent from 2010.

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