About 15.6 million Americans got plastic surgery in 2014, a 3 percent increase from 2013, according to an annual report released Thursday by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
"The demand for plastic surgery continues to grow as medical advancements are made and technology improves, resulting in a wider array of options for patients," Dr. Scot Glasberg, president of the ASPS, an organization of board-certified plastic surgeons, said in a news release.
The 3 percent increase accounts for minimally invasive and surgical cosmetic surgeries. Reconstructive procedures also saw a rise of 1 percent: About 5.8 million Americans received that type of surgery in 2014, according to ASPS’s plastic surgery procedural statistics report.
Breast reconstructive surgeries rose by 7 percent from 2013 to 2014. More than 102,200 of those procedures were performed last year.
"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.” Glasberg noted the importance of doctors’ efforts to make patients aware of their options following their breast cancer diagnoses and mastectomies.
The use of fat in minimally invasive surgeries rose by 2 percent from 2013 to 2014. Buttock implants and lifts have seen the fastest increase in recent years, the ASPS noted in its report. Buttock augmentation with fat grafting rose by 15 percent from 2013 to 2014 (to 11,505 procedures), buttock implants rose by 98 percent (to 1,863 procedures), and buttock lifts rose by 44 percent (to 3,505 procedures).
More men also received plastic surgery in 2014. Their top cosmetic surgeries were pectoral implants—which saw a 208 percent increase, up to about 1,050 operations last year—and male breast reductions, which have increased by 29 percent since 2000. About 26,180 male breast reconstructive surgeries were performed in 2014.
Fewer Americans received breast augmentation in 2014: The procedure saw a 1 percent decrease, to about 286,250 surgeries in 2014. Nose reshaping, eyelid surgery and facelifts saw similar declines. The number of liposuction procedures, on the other hand, rose by 5 percent from 2013 to 2014, to about 210,550 operations.
The most popular minimally invasive surgeries in 2014 were botulinum toxin type A, soft tissue fillers, chemical peels and laser hair removal, which all saw increases ranging from 3 percent to 7 percent over a one-year period. Chemical peels saw the largest percentage-point increase. In 2014, 6.7 million botulinum toxin type A procedures were performed, as well as 2.3 million soft tissue fillers, 1.2 million chemical peels, and 1.1 million laser hair removal procedures. Microdermabrasion procedures saw a decline of 9 percent, to about 882,000 from 2013 to 2014.
“Subtlety has been the keyword I’ve heard from patients over the past year,” Glasberg said in the news release. “Minimally invasive procedures typically produce subtle aesthetic results and for many people, that is all they want or need at the time.”