Liposuction is Top Plastic Surgery Procedure in the World
The first-ever reliable international plastic surgery data, collected by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), revealed that liposuction was the most-performed plastic surgery procedure in the world in 2009.
The statistics, which were obtained and analyzed by independent statistical specialists, showed that liposuction represented about 19 percent of all surgery procedures. It was followed by breast augmentation (17%); eyelid surgery (13.5%); rhinoplasty (9.4%); and tummy tuck (7.3%).
The number of non-surgical procedures topped the number of surgical procedures, “reflecting both advances in cosmetic surgery innovation and the desirability of less expensive treatments,” according to ISAPS. The top five non-surgical procedures were as follows:
- Toxins or neuromodulators injections (Botox, Dysport) (32.7%)
- Hyaluronic acid injections (20.1%)
- Laser hair removal (13.1%)
- Autologous fat injections (5.9%)
- IPL Laser Treatment (4.4%)
The top procedures do vary among countries. “It is not always liposuction and breast augmentation that are No. 1,” says ISAPS President Foad Nahai, MD, a plastic surgeon in Atlanta. For instance, silicone implants for nose reshaping and eyelid surgery are popular in countries such as Thailand and China, and injectables are not yet as popular in other countries as they are in the U.S., he says.
The statistics also showed that there were more plastic surgery procedures performed last year in the United States than in any other country. The top five countries by total number of procedures performed were as follows:
- United States (17.5% of total procedures)
- Brazil (14.3%)
- China (12.7%)
- India (5.2%)
- Mexico (4.8%)
“It is no surprise to me that the United States has the largest number of aesthetic procedures, and same with Brazil,” says Dr. Nahai. “But countries like China and India with emerging economies are generating a lot wealth and as that wealth is passed around, people are choosing to their spend discretionary income on aesthetic procedures.”
For a full report on the international plastic surgery statistics, visit the ISAPS website.