New Study Reveals Dark Side of Medical Tourism

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Briana

Medical TourismEnticingly low prices coupled with exotic travel destinations have facilitated a recent rise in medical tourism for plastic surgery patients. Medical tourism, a term used to describe the act of seeking health care abroad, isn’t always the safest or cheapest option for plastic surgery procedures such as liposuction or breast augmentation, according to the results of a new survey.

“Usually people going abroad are not going abroad to the world’s expert on a procedure; they are going to have something done cheaper.  If you have any complications at all, it could end up costing you four to five times the amount if you would have if you just stayed here in the first place,” said Dr. Mark Elliott, a board certified surgeon and advisory board member for ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com.

According to the survey, which received responses from nearly two-thousand ASPS board certified plastic surgeons, nearly 80 percent of respondents had previously treated patients for complications following plastic surgery procedures abroad. The majority of these patients were treated for post-operative infections.

Additionally, the study also claimed that nearly half of medical tourists receiving breast augmentation or body contouring procedures such as liposuction required numerous surgeries to correct complications incurring from their initial surgery. Many of the surgeons surveyed felt that a lack of post-operative care was a main contributing factor to many of these complications.

“The process of surgery really encompasses a good analysis, a carefully done operation, and very careful post-operative care. To give up post-operative care you’re assuming you won’t have questions, problems, or any complications afterward. And quite frankly, I think it’s naïve and unsafe,” said Dr. Lou Bucky, a board certified surgeon and advisory board member for ThePlasticSurgeryChannel.com.

While choosing plastic surgery abroad isn’t necessarily a poor decision, patients unfortunately aren’t doing their research. Finding references and information on surgeons abroad can also prove to be far more difficult. Ditching the beach for local care may just be the safest option.

Source: theplasticsurgerychannel.com

Posted in Body Surgery, Breast Surgery | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Trend Alert: Couples Liposuction

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Briana

LiposuctionA new trend is sweeping through the plastic surgery industry – couples plastic surgery.  Just last year, nine percent of all cosmetic procedures were elected by male patients, so it’s clear that male plastic surgery no longer carries the same social stigma it once did, and plastic surgeons are seeing more and more men coming in for consultations with their wives or girlfriends.

“Men are often initially introduced when they come in with their wives, who are looking at having this or that done. When the husband is in there, he sees some of the information, and then he sort of gets interested. Then, when the wife comes in for a post-operation appointment, we’ll talk about his eyes or neck,” said Dr. Richard Chaffoo, a board-certified plastic surgeon in California.

Liposuction Ranks Top Plastic Surgery Procedure

Liposuction in particular, has grown immensely in popularity over the past few years among both men and women.  In 2011, over 300,000 liposuction procedures were performed in the U.S., exceeding the number of breast augmentations for the first time since 2008, according to recent statistics released by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).

In addition to liposuction, the most popular anti-aging procedures for women in the past year included tummy tucks and eyelid procedures. For men, eyelid surgery was also at the top of the list, as well as male breast reduction, according to the ASAPS.

Though couples plastic surgery is not a trend that been recognized by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery or the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, most plastic surgeons who have noticed this trend between couples agree that their patients are typically between their late 30s and early 60s.

Find out more about liposuction in Portland.

Source: LA Times

Posted in Body Surgery, Liposuction | Tagged , | Leave a comment

ASAP Releases Its 15th Consecutive Year of Plastic Surgery Statistics

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Briana

As the rates of plastic surgery continue to soar, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) is proud to release its fifteenth consecutive year of multi-specialty procedural statistics. Since 1997 the ASAPS has been educating both plastic surgeons and patients about trends in the plastic surgery industry.

“For fifteen years these statistics have been a large part of the Aesthetic Society’s public education mission,” said Jeffrey M. Kenkel, MD, President of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. “Since 1997, the interest in and demand for cosmetic plastic surgery has risen exponentially and our comprehensive statistics continue to show that.”

In the past year, plastic surgery procedures increased by nearly 1 percent across the U.S. The most popular cosmetic surgeries were as follows: liposuction (325,332), breast augmentation (316,848), abdominoplasty (149,410), eyelid surgery (147,540) and breast lift (127,054).

Non-surgical cosmetic procedures, which accounted for 82 percent of all cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S. in 2011, saw a 2 percent decrease over the past year. The most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedures were as follows: botulinum toxin type A (2,619,739), hyaluronic acid (1,206,186), laser hair removal (919,802), microdermabrasion (499,427) and IPL laser treatment (439,161).

In 2011, cosmetic procedures were popular for men and women; however, it’s clear that cosmetic surgery remains a female dominated consumer industry. Of all cosmetic procedures performed last year, 91 percent were elected by female patients.

With current trends, the rate of cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S. is likely to continue to see growth, especially as more and more baby boomers begin to notice signs of aging. Surgical cosmetic procedures in particular are likely to see the greatest increase in years to come.

“Growth in demand will likely continue to grow as baby boomers and their offspring begin to explore surgical options,” said Dr. Kenkel. “Minimally-invasive procedures such as Botox and soft tissue fillers work to a point. However, as you age and gravity takes over, surgical procedures that lift the skin and reshape the underlying tissues are necessary in order to show significant improvement.”

Learn more about breast augmentation and other cosmetic procedures in Portland, OR.

Posted in Body Surgery, In the News | Tagged | Leave a comment