Huntington Beach, LOS ANGELES – A California woman who has earned the nickname “The Boob-Job Bandit” in local media, has turned herself in to police after being accused of using a fake identity to obtain breast implants from a Huntington Beach plastic surgery clinic.

Yvonne Jean Pampellonne, 30, surrendered to local authorities on Tuesday (March 4th) afternoon in Huntington Beach, California, where she was wanted on charges of commercial burglary, identity theft and grand theft. Pampellonne arranged her surrender through her attorney and has been released on $20,000 bail pending an arraignment on the charges on May 27.

Police say that in September of 2008 Pampellonne used the personal information of another woman to establish a fraudulent line of credit at the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery in Huntington Beach. By the time it was discovered, doctors performed $12,000 in liposuction and breast augmentation surgery at the center, say police.

The Orange County Register newspaper reported that Pampellonne was caught by police detectives using breast implant tracking numbers. Medical staff at the center became suspicious after Pampellonne returned for follow-up appointments and, after police identified her through the tracking numbers on her old implants, picked her out of a photo line-up.

Pampellonne’s arrest marks the second similar plastic surgery-related case this year in Orange County, which recently has been portrayed as an oceanfront playground for the wealthy on such TV shows as “The Real Housewives of Orange County” and “The O.C.” In January and February, a still-unidentified woman who gave the names “Miriam Gombar” or “Miriam Flemings” had thousands of dollars worth of Botox injections and facial fillers at a pair of Newport Beach plastic surgery clinics and left without paying.

According to the Register newspaper, a worker at one of the two plastic surgery clinics described the mystery woman as having a dark complexion and shoulder length hair, adding that she was in her late 40s to early 50s, adding that she was “not very attractive”, despite the work she had.

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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.”

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