Rear End Takes a Front Seat in Plastic Surgery Offices

Men also drove up overall number of cosmetic procedures, doctors say

By Robert Preidt

Thursday, February 26, 2015

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THURSDAY, Feb. 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Butt enhancement helped boost cosmetic procedures in the United States by 3 percent last year, according to a new report.

Americans saddled with sagging, small or otherwise run-of-the-mill fannies underwent 11,505 buttock augmentations with fat grafting (up 15 percent from 2013), the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported.

More than 3,500 buttocks were lifted (up 44 percent from the year before), according to a society news release.

And buttock implants -- chosen by over 1,800 Americans -- rocketed 98 percent over the previous year.

Plastic surgery among men also grew in popularity, the 2014 report noted.

"Male plastic surgery rates have significantly increased since 2000, and the notion that cosmetic procedures are just for women no longer exists," society president Dr. Scot Glasberg said in the news release.

Some men wanted bigger chests: Plastic surgeons performed 1,054 pectoral implants (208 percent more than in 2013).

And more than 26,000 men underwent breast reductions (29 percent more than in 2000).

"Men are seeking to regain a more youthful look, improve their self-image and feel better about their appearance," Glasberg added.

Overall, 15.6 million minimally invasive and surgical cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States in 2014. There were also 5.8 million reconstructive surgeries performed -- a 1 percent increase from 2013.

Demand for minimally invasive and cosmetic procedures continued. The top five procedures were: botulinum toxin type A, or Botox (6.7 million); soft-tissue fillers (2.3 million); chemical peels (1.2 million); laser hair removal (1.1 million); and microdermabrasion (nearly 882,000). All except microdermabrasion racked up increases from 2013.

America's favorite surgical procedures had their ups and downs, the study found. Breast augmentations fell 1 percent compared to 2013. Nose reshaping dropped 2 percent, eyelid surgery declined 4 percent and facelifts fell off 4 percent.

Liposuction, however, jumped up 5 percent in the year-to-year figures.

Breast cancer patients underwent over 102,000 breast reconstructions, a 7 percent increase from 2013.

"It's encouraging to see a significant rise in breast reconstruction rates, because studies show that reconstruction can greatly improve a patient's quality of life and self-image," Glasberg said. "But, not all breast cancer patients undergo breast reconstruction, in some cases because they are not informed of all of their reconstructive options."

SOURCE: American Society of Plastic Surgeons, news release, Feb. 26, 2015

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