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Do You Know What Country Has the Most Plastic Surgery?

According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ISAPS), the United States claims the highest total number of plastic surgery procedures in the world. There were 4.2 million plastic surgery procedures performed in the most recently survey (in 2016). This accounts for 17.9 percent of all plastic surgeries worldwide.

Woman on beach wearing USA flag swimsuit

More about the recent findings …

Brazil Plastic Surgery Growing

Brazil had 2.5 million procedures in the same time frame study. This accounts for 10.7 percent of all plastic surgeries performed world-wide.

What’s interesting, is that the US had an even higher percentage (19%) of breast augmentation procedures than the rest of the world. However, the US was second to Brazil in the number of body procedures (tummy tuck and liposuction and eyelid lifts).

More info:

https://www.allure.com/story/top-5-countries-getting-plastic-surgery

What Happened to Asian Countries?

Rounding out the top 5 countries after the US and Brazil are Japan, Italy, and Mexico. Previously, Asian countries, especially South Korea, ranked at the top of countries for plastic surgery. So what happened?

Statistics likely depend upon survey methods and reporting protocol of actual/ number of procedures. Not all countries follow the same methods for reporting procedures. For example, an eyelid procedure could require several procedures during one surgery. Does that count as multiple procedures? Or one? Likewise, statistics could look different if the comparison was ‘per capita’ instead of total number of procedures. So, it can be difficult to compare apples to apples.

In another survey, South Korea was 3rd in the word for plastic surgery procedures:

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-number-of-cosmetic-surgery-procedures-by-country.html

In some cases, a plastic surgeon may complete 5 different procedures to complete an eyelid surgery. Does that count as 1 procedure or 5? Therein lies the possible difference in reporting.

It is well known that the number of eyelid procedures in South Korea are higher than most places in the world. However, there are not as many breast or abdominal procedures performed than in the US, Brazil 2nd.

About Colorado Springs, CO, Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Greg Liebscher

If you live in the Colorado Springs area and would like to talk to a board-certified plastic surgeon in Colorado Springs about your plastic surgery procedure, please contact Dr. Greg Liebscher by calling 719-634-2503.

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Does Breast Enhancement Surgery Lead to Better Sex?

A woman who enjoys better sex after breast enhancements

If you’re wondering if breast enhancement leads to better sex experiences, let’s first look at some of the statistics surrounding the most popular cosmetic procedures today.

According to The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s Cosmetic Surgery Statistics the most common procedure requested by women in the U.S. was breast augmentation (329,914 procedures), liposuction (289,261), and breast lifts (158,964 procedures).

The growing trends in plastic surgery over the past five years includes buttocks implantation and labiaplasty. But breast procedures continue to be the most common. And one might ask if there is a connection between breast surgery and quality sexual life? Or is the popularity of breast procedures purely cosmetic?

Is Self Consciousness Connected to an Improved Sex Life?

For women, body image greatly influences self-esteem, self-confidence, and the way they react in intimate encounters. When women feel self -conscious or ashamed of their bodies, they are less responsive and enjoy sex less than when they feel positively about their body image. In terms of body image, the parts of the body that are the primary focus for women during sexual encounters are their breasts. This may be a result of images from TV, movies, media, ads, books and societal norms in which breasts are equated with womanhood, femininity, sexiness and desirability.

When a woman feels her breasts look non-symmetrical, misshapen, or undersized, this can have a large impact on her life. We’re surrounded by advertisements for products that are alleged to increase breast size, bathing suit models whose figures suggest the ideal body includes large, firm breasts, and movies in which the ingénues clothing reveals enough to suggest the presence of sizable breasts beneath. With all these influences it’s not surprising that women believe that they must have large breasts to be found attractive by others. These beliefs transfer to the bedroom, affecting a woman’s sex life.

Recent Findings on Breast Augmentation Surgery and Sexual Satisfaction

Breast enhancement surgery has recently been front and center in the news with increased attention on examining the relationship between women’s satisfaction with their breasts and their sex-life. A study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reported that women who had breast enhancement surgery reported increased satisfaction with the appearance of their breasts, and a greater sense of psycho-social and sexual well-being after the surgery. Since psycho-social functioning is strongly related to sexual functioning, while each of these factors may have contributed independently to improved life satisfaction following breast enhancement surgery, these factors also likely contributed to women’s quality of life through the ways in which they interacted.

A recent poll conducted by RealSelf.com, a consumer review site related to breast augmentation, suggested that breast enhancement surgery improved several areas in the respondents’ sexual functioning. In particular, results demonstrated that following surgery 61 percent of the participants reported having sex more often, and 70 percent of the participants reported greater satisfaction with their sex live.

Interviews with plastic surgeons regarding this poll were not surprised by the findings. A plastic surgeon on faculty at the University of Texas stated that he noticed a difference in how women dressed and the way they carried themselves, which he equated with increased self-confidence following surgery. He added that he believed this improved confidence observed in his patients was likely to affect other areas of their lives in a positive manner including their sexual functioning.

Anecdotal reports suggest that women who have undergone breast enhancement surgery experience orgasm more quickly and are more easily aroused by their partners. Some practitioners have suggested that when a woman feels self-conscious during sex that it’s more difficult for her to relax and experience pleasure from the encounter. Breast enhancement surgery increases overall confidence, which can lead to a woman feeling more relaxed and less inhibited during sex. Most theories related to the outcomes of breast enhancement procedures suggest that the improvement found in women’s sexual functioning was a result of an improved body image leading to increased self-confidence and greater comfort in intimate situations.

This article was recently republished. Original publication was January 21, 2013.

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How Many Plastic Surgery Procedures Are Done Each Year in the U.S.?

How many plastic surgery procedures are performed in the U.S. each year?

Plastic surgery is currently experiencing a boom and has been for some time. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Americans had nearly 17.7 million cosmetic procedures in 2018. Also, there were 5.8 reconstructive procedures performed.

Below you find some information on the most common types of plastic surgery procedures performed by plastic surgeons and their rate of occurrence:

Botox:

This cosmetic treatment is by far the most common non-evasive procedure. There were 7.4 million (up from 5.7 million in 2012) of these procedures performed last year. One of the factors that makes Botox so preferable is its low-cost and low risk.

Mammaplasty:

The most common surgical procedure is mammaplasty (breast augmentation). There were 313,000 breast enlargement surgeries in 2018 (compared to 296,203 procedures in 2012). New innovative technology has increased the success and safety of this surgery making it even more popular for women.

Abdominoplasty:

An abdominoplasty, otherwise known as a tummy tuck, is another very popular elective procedure. Last year, around 30,000 procedures were performed (compared to 116,000 in 2012). Tummy tucks are most common in women; however, men can have them as well. Most tummy tucks are requested by women because of damage to the abdomen during pregnancy. This procedure is safe and usually effective. For this reason, it is a very common plastic surgery.

Lipectomy:

Around 258,000 lipectomy (liposuction) procedures were performed in 2012 (compared to 203,103 in 2012). Liposuction is a very common procedure often repeated by the same person more than one time during their lifetime. It effectively removes fat from several areas of the body including the thighs, buttocks, stomach and arms.

Blepharoplasty:

Blepharoplasty, otherwise known as eyelid surgery, is another very common cosmetic procedure. There were around 206,000 procedures performed last year (compared to 208,000 in 2012). Eyelid surgery is preformed to correct drooping of the upper eyelids and bags below the eyes. This is accomplished by removing extra skin, muscle and fat from the eye.

NOTE: This article was recently edited and republished. It was originally published Dec 17, 2012.

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Breast Implant Sizes

A woman with overly sized breasts

Breast implants are big business in the United States. There were nearly 300,000 breast augmentation surgeries reported in 2010 and even more performed in 2011, according to the website PlasticSurgery.org. Breast augmentation has been the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure since 2006 and the numbers continue to rise. When someone elects to have breast augmentation, a common question is what breast implant sizes are available?

Chances are that you or someone you know is considering breast augmentation surgery. One very important aspect of this procedure is determining the desired breast implant size. Several factors may affect the selection of the breast implant size.

Physical Characteristics

During a standard breast augmentation consultation, the cosmetic surgeon will evaluate:

  • your breast size
  • dimension of the breasts
  • characteristics of the overall breast tissue

Other factors to consider include:

  • your body type
  • skin elasticity
  • base diameter of each breast

In addition, you surgeon will evaluate where the breast implant may be inserted in the breast. This will affect the overall appearance of the breast after surgery and may play a part in the implant size decision.

These are all factors that will affect how the breast will look after breast implant surgery. Always ask your surgeon’s opinion about the best breast implant size for your body. Discuss the approximate size that you are seeking to achieve.

Personal Preferences

Of course, the decision to undergo breast augmentation surgery is a very personal one. Chances are very good that if you have chosen to get breast implants, you have a certain idea of how you would like to look. Discuss your goals and the vision of how you would like to look with your plastic surgeon. Remember that certain sizes may not work with your specific body type.

Overall Appearance

As part of the breast surgery consultation, a staff member will help you try on different breast implant sizes. You will wear a special bra and can insert different types and sizes of breast implants into the bra. You can then see how you would look with each specific size.

Before you decide to move forward with breast implant surgery, it is very important to be realistic about the surgery. Understand any potential complications and how you may look or feel after surgery. Select a physician who is board-certified in plastic surgery. Remember to ask and listen carefully when it comes to the surgery and your desired breast size.

Learn more about breast implant sizes

Have more questions about breast implant sizes? Schedule a consultation with Colorado Springs plastic surgeon, Dr. Greg Liebscher.

This article was originally published March 8, 2012.

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Can I Have Multiple Cosmetic Surgery Procedures at the Same Time?

A person having more than one cosmetic surgery procedure at the same time

Cosmetic surgery helps to enhance appearance and boost self-esteem. This surgical procedure offers many physical and emotional benefits. Some people who want plastic surgery are wondering if they can have more than one cosmetic surgery procedure performed at the same time.

Well, there is no one answer to the question of how many cosmetic surgery procedures you can have at the same time. Some surgeries can be performed at once with minimal risks while combining other surgical procedures can increase the chances of problems.

Advantages and Benefits

There are a several advantages to having multiple surgical procedures performed at the same time. You go through recovery from several procedures simultaneously instead of one at a time if the procedures are performed at different times.

One of the benefits of having several cosmetic surgery procedures at once is that you will combine your recovery time. Any cosmetic procedure you have will require some time for recovery, so if you’re going to have more than one surgery, you can cut down your recovery time by having all of the procedures done on the same day.

Disadvantages and Risks

While cutting down on recovery time may sound appealing, certain types of cosmetic surgeries put a strain on the body, and you must rest after the procedure. You need to be in a healthy condition before having any type of cosmetic surgery procedure, but if you think that undergoing more than one procedure at the same time will put a big strain on your body, you may want to schedule them on different times instead.

Having multiple procedures at one time will result to lower overall costs, since you are using the operating room once and having anesthesia once. Many surgeons have no problem with this, but some surgeons prefer to put their patients through one surgical procedure at a time and monitor progress after each procedure, and perhaps fine tune skills and anesthesia for future surgeries.

Many people who have plastic surgery are anxious about showing the results of their procedure to relatives and friends. Having several procedures at the same time means you will only have to reveal the results once. If you relish showing off your new look, having several revelations in a row can be an exciting experience.

An important factor to consider should be how often the surgeon has performed the cosmetic procedures you are considering. Find out how much experience your surgeon has with the specific surgeries you are interested in. If your surgeon has great expertise in liposuction but is not well-versed in performing facelifts, it may be a good idea to spread out your procedures and look for an alternative surgeon to perform the facelifts.

Complementing Procedures

Certain cosmetic surgeries go hand in hand, so you may want to combine multiple surgeries that can be done at the same time. For example, you may need to have a tummy tuck following liposuction in order to get rid of loose skin. It’s also a smart move to combine breast augmentation procedure with a breast lift cosmetic surgery. Or, women who undergo reconstructive breast surgery as part of cancer treatment, may choose breast augmentation.

Having more than one cosmetic surgery at the same time, or having cosmetic surgery procedures at different times both have advantages and disadvantages. A skilled cosmetic surgeon in partnership with an experienced anesthesiologist can make the decision whether they’re able to perform multiple procedures at the same time, or whether they want to perform them separately.

References

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Cosmetic/story?id=118249&page=1

http://www.surgery.org/consumers/ask-a-surgeon/safe-procedures-time-save-cost

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