If television shows like Bridalplasty are what inspired you to start researching plastic surgery, our Tuscaloosa liposuction staff seriously cautions you against letting your research stop there. Did you know that these shows (in which participants are striving to win a series of competitions for which cosmetic procedures are the prizes) are a transgression of the code of ethics laid out by the American Society of Plastic Surgery (ASPS)? The organization states that a violation includes any event in which “The member participates in a charity raffle, fund raising event, contest or other promotion in which the prize is any procedure” (ASPS Code of Ethics, §2.I.K).

However, television isn’t the only detractor from ethical plastic surgery practices. Sometimes, the pursuit of a dollar is powerful enough for physicians who are not board certified plastic surgeons to market cosmetic surgery to naive prospects in search of a good bargain on a procedure. Often, that procedure is liposuction. This happened recently in Arizona, where three patients died during surgery at the clinic of Dr. Peter Normann. He was pronounced guilty of second-degree murder in the deaths of Ralph Gonzalez, 33, Leslie Ann Ray, 53, and of manslaughter for the death of Alicia Santizo Blanco, 41.

How can a doctor fail at performing liposuction? In Normann’s case, he had been an emergency room physician, and was only certified as an internist. He had never done a residency in plastic surgery, nor was he trained in anesthesiology. Instead, he had undergone six days of training in liposuction. Residencies for plastic surgery are generally two years long, after the candidate has undergone five years of general surgery training.

Investigators also found that his operating room lacked proper oxygen and monitoring equipment. Normann worked without anesthesiologists or nurses, relying on a massage therapist and a former restaurant worker with little or no training as medical technicians. When one of the now-deceased patients stopped breathing during liposuction, a paramedic that arrived on the scene claims to have seen the doctor inserting a breathing tube into the wrong part of the body – the esophagus, rather than the trachea. This is what deprived him of oxygen and ultimately killed him.

Our established Tuscaloosa liposuction surgeons, Dr. Oliver and Dr. Jack, are great examples of the kind of quality experienced, board certified plastic surgeons can offer. Each of them underwent a plastic surgery residency, which included in extensive training in liposuction. In fact, Dr. Jack scored in the top one percent of all plastic surgical residents in the nation on his in-service training examination during his chief-resident year, and Dr. Oliver is double board certified by both the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Plastic Surgery. These are the kinds of qualifications you should be looking for when selecting a plastic surgeon.

For information on becoming a Tuscaloosa liposuction patient, please contact Plastic Surgery Specialists today. Either of our surgeons will be glad to answer your questions during an initial consultation.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Despite personal views, plastic surgery has gone mainstream, and is obviously here to stay. The release of plastic surgery statistics has become an annual ritual, almost on par with announcing awards show nominees. Every year the numbers are analyzed to see what trends are revealed, and the 2008 data, released last month from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), provided a few surprises.

Paramount among these was the emergence of breast augmentation as the number one cosmetic surgery procedure, knocking off liposuction which has traditionally held the spot. Though cosmetic surgery overall declined in 2008 (which also happens to be a first), the surge in cosmetic implant use was mirrored by an increase of approximately 39% in breast reconstruction. This comes on the heels of FDA clearance for silicone gel breast implants 2 years ago, suggesting that the controversies that have plagued this breast implants type in the past have since faded.

A longer view reveals a more telling trend, however. While cosmetic surgery was down by a few percentage points, non-surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures-Botox or dermal filler injections, lasers and the like-were up. One widely held interpretation of this is that people are shifting into “maintenance mode” by opting for more affordable procedures with minimal or no downtime until the economy improves and they can justify their facelift. Botox might be the new lipstick, a modern version of the historical increase in lipstick sales with every major economic downturn in the past.

Forecasting Plastic Surgery Trends

But broader analysis reveals that non-surgical cosmetic procedures have been increasing a lot more than surgery for several years. Although 1.7 million surgical procedures were done in the U.S. last year, non-surgical procedures checked in at more than 10 million. This is due, in part, to continually improving products and technologies, and with this has come greater social acceptance. Many of them are even household words now. Plastic surgeons have adapted by expanding their repertoires to include minimally invasive technologies and beauty services at their practices.

The big question on everyone’s mind is what all this means for the economy and where we are headed. One could easily subscribe to the theory that plastic surgery bookings anticipate an upturn, and if the first quarter of the year is an indication, then the economy is headed in the right direction. Some are freshening up their appearance as they change careers, others taking advantage of time off in between jobs. Either way, it is a vote of confidence; whether it is right for you, as always, is a personal choice.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Despite being historically seen as a luxury, reserved for the wealthy, it doesn’t take a board certified plastic surgeon to tell you that appearances matter in our society. The emphasis on this popular notion, however, is being challenged by the economic restrictions many of us are now facing, during the recession.

The idea of foregoing cosmetic enhancement is starting to show, across the board, in the field. Recent national and regional surveys by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) shows a 62% decrease in overall cosmetic procedures of all kinds, since 2007. Invasive surgical procedures have shown a 44-64% drop, depending on the procedure, while 73% of ASPS-surveyed surgeons have shown an increased or stable demand for minimally or non-invasive procedures.

A fair amount of surgeons expressed cautious optimism amidst the downturn in business, noting that while business is definitely slowing down, the expectations are that it won’t be a permanent change in the field. Many surgeons are advocating that patients focus on only one aspect of their appearance to improve and then return when they are financially capable.

“Instead of getting their whole face addressed maybe they’ll narrow it down to the eyes or their lips”, says St. Louis plastic surgeon, Dr. Bruce White, M.D.

While some surgeons and practices opt to push less obtrusive procedures like Botox or fat grafting in lieu of procedures like a facelift and body contouring, others are taking a different approach to keep their business booming. Dr. White’s practice, for example offers 10-15% discounts for first time patients.

Says ASPS president, Richard D’Amico, M.D., “It is very clear the economy is affecting the demand for surgical cosmetic procedures. We are hearing that from consumers and plastic surgeons. And while ASPS Member Surgeons are feeling the impact of the economy, we anticipate the historic bounce when patients return as the economy improves.”

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

While our economic state is slowly getting worse, one industry that is feeling the crunch is cosmetic surgery.

People who were once considering getting a facelift, breast augmentation or liposuction are now having to rethink their financial situation and make a choice whether going through with their cosmetic surgery procedure is worth the cost or if it’s better to save for that rainy day.

According to this article on  CNN: Cosmetic Surgery Industry Sags with Economy, it’s evident that business is down for plastic surgeons around the country and the cost of plastic surgery procedures and the poor economy are to blame.

Cost of Plastic Surgery

This isn’t to say that no one is getting plastic surgery anymore. Instead of paying for more typically expensive procedures like a facelift or eyelid surgery, many people are opting for less expensive but not as permanent procedures such as facial fillers like Botox, Restylane or Juvederm.

Plastic surgery costs differ from state to state and even city to city so it is a good idea to do some research when looking into the prices of the plastic surgery procedure you are interested in. Financing for plastic surgery is also an option that not many people are aware of.

Below is a small example of a range of average plastic surgery costs gathered from around the country. To view the full list please visit Plastic Surgery Costs at PlasticSurgery.com

Bookmark It

Hide Sites