Looking at the 2013 statistics recently released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons® (ASPS), a few trends in the world of breast surgery caught my eye that reflect what I see daily. For example, the number of women getting breast lifts increased at twice the rate as those getting breast augmentation procedures. At my New Jersey practice, I’ve seen this and a number of trends firsthand.
As more women explore the ways to get more youthful-looking breasts even without implants, it’s not as though breast augmentation is getting less popular. Year after year, it remains at or near the top of cosmetic surgeries performed in the U.S. But since 2000, the number of breast lifts performed increased by a dramatic 70%, outpacing the growth of getting breast implants 2-1. Even women who are satisfied with the size of their breasts have realized that a breast lift can rejuvenate the overall appearance, especially after pregnancy or significant weight loss.
Another notable trend, according to the ASPS statistics, is that women getting breast augmentation are overwhelmingly choosing silicone breast implants. Of approximately 300,000 augmentation operations performed in 2013, 72% were done with silicone implants. That’s a remarkable increase since 2006, when silicone implants were reapproved by the FDA and just 20% of women selected silicone over saline. At my practice, 90% of breast augmentation patients choose silicone implants. I attribute this shift to recent silicone innovations that have increased options for women wanting implants that look and feel like natural breasts.
One final trend I’d like to note is one I’m particularly happy to see as a past president of the ASPS and an active member. The ASPS has dedicated the past 2 years to a campaign to educate women about their breast reconstruction options following breast cancer surgery. The campaign, Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day (BRA Day), appears to be having an impact. Breast reconstruction procedures were up 4% compared with 2012, which is wonderful news for women.
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