International Study Shows Liposuction as Most Common Procedure
Liposuction was recently shown to be the world’s most frequently performed cosmetic procedure, according to an international study of the world’s cosmetic surgeons. Liposuction refers to the removal of excess fat deposits, sometimes using advanced techniques such as sound waves.
This detailed and well-established annual study was titled The ISAPS International Survey on Aesthetic/Cosmetic Procedures Performed in 2011. It was recently released in full on the ISAPS website, and documents worldwide surgical and non-surgical trends in a variety of areas.
More Patients Choosing Liposuction Than Ever Before
Incredibly, the study was able to collect data from over 90% of the world’s 32,000 cosmetic surgeons. making this one of the most exhaustive surveys to date on the topic. The results showed liposuction/lipoplasty as the most popular surgical option worldwide, with more than one million procedures performed internationally. This was followed by breast augmentation in a close second position, then eyelid surgery, tummy tucks and rhinoplasties.
In the United States, the trend was slightly different, with breast augmentations being more popular then liposuction, and then tummy tucks, eyelid lifts and nose jobs, in that order. The top non-surgical procedure was Botox Cosmetic, followed by hyaluronic acid injections, laser hair removal, microdermabrasion and IPL laser treatment.
Asia was found to be the continent with the most cosmetic surgery performed, having nearly 30% of all procedures. North America was a close second, with 28.5%. After these two, the order was Europe, South America, and Oceania. However, Brazil was found to have the second highest amount of cosmetic procedures, trailing only the United States.
As technologies advance, liposuction (or lipoplasty) has continue to gain popularity with the worldwide patient base. Its effective and minimally invasive results are one of the standards of cosmetic surgery, and the procedure often serves as an example of the possibilities in cosmetic surgery.
