12 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2007.

The number of plastic surgery procedures performed in America is growing steadily with no sign of a slowdown, recent data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) shows. 

Almost 12 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2007 -- a seven percent increase from 2006 and a 59 percent increase from 2000, the ASPS reveals in its latest procedural statistics report.  5.1 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year. Cosmetic plastic surgery spending increased by 9 percent to $12.4 billion in 2007, the study shows.

The report demonstrates that the Americans are devoted to looking and feeling their best, said Richard A. D’Amico, MD, ASPS president. ‘High demand continues for less invasive and relatively less expensive procedures, but there were also promising rebounds in some surgical procedures,’ he added. 

More than 1.8 million surgical cosmetic procedures were performed in 2007.  The top five surgical procedures were breast augmentation (348,000, up 6 percent), liposuction (302,000, unchanged), nose reshaping (285,000, down 7 percent), eyelid surgery (241,000, up 3 percent), and tummy tuck (148,000, up 1 percent).

Minimally invasive cosmetic procedures rose by 9 percent, to nearly 10 million procedures. Hyaluronic acid fillers (Restylane, Hylaform, Hylaform Plus, and Juvederm) jumped from fifth most popular in 2006 to second most popular in 2007. Botox (4.6 million, up 13 percent from 2006), hyaluronic acid fillers (1.1 million, up 35 percent), chemical peel (one million, down 4 percent), laser hair removal (906,000, up 2 percent) and microdermabrasion (897,000, up 10 percent) were the top five minimally-invasive procedures.

Reconstructive plastic surgery procedures diminished 2 percent in 2007. Tumor removal (3.9 million, down 1 percent), laceration repair (286,000, down 9 percent), scar revision (150,000, down 9 percent), hand surgery (142,000, down 9 percent) and breast reduction (106,000, up 2 percent) were the top five reconstructive procedures.

‘We wish the number of reconstructive plastic surgery procedures was waning because fewer people are getting sick or injured,’ said D’Amico. ‘Rather, we think it has to do with extenuating circumstances like insurers denying claims and stating medically necessary procedures are cosmetic.’