Breast Implants Top List of Plastic Surgeries

MONDAY, March 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — More Americans than ever are trying to reshape their bodies with breast and butt implants, liposuction and “thigh lifts,” a new report shows.

Almost 18 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States in 2018, nearly a quarter-million more than in 2017, according to newly released data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

The group said that number has climbed steadily over the past five years, and that the new statistics show a jump in noninvasive fat reduction procedures, as well as body-shaping surgeries such as breast augmentation and liposuction.

“Liposuction continues to be the gold standard in body contouring because of its versatility, efficiency and effectiveness,” ASPS President Dr. Alan Matarasso said in a society news release.

Of the almost 2 million cosmetic surgical procedures performed in 2018, the top five were: breast augmentation (313,735 procedures, up 4 percent from 2017); liposuction (258,558 procedures, up 5 percent from 2017); nose reshaping (213,780 procedures, down 2 percent from 2017); eyelid surgery (206,529 procedures, down 1 percent from 2017); and tummy tucks (130,081 procedures, about the same as 2017).

Along with increases in breast augmentation and liposuction, there were increases in other body-shaping procedures such as buttock augmentation and thigh lifts.

“With liposuction, one treatment may be all you need to reshape problem areas. A plastic surgeon can treat more areas — and larger areas — in one procedure … but new nonsurgical fat reduction machinery continues to evolve and play a role in reshaping areas of the body,” Matarasso said.

Of the almost 16 million cosmetic minimally invasive procedures performed in 2018, the top five were: Botox injections (7.4 million procedures, up 3 percent from 2017); soft tissue fillers (2.7 million procedures, up 2 percent from 2017); chemical peels (1.4 million procedures, up 1 percent since 2017); laser hair removal (1 million procedures, down 1 percent from 2017); and microdermabrasion (709,413 procedures, down 4 percent from 2017).

More information

The U.S. Office on Women’s Health discusses body image.