ASPS annual statistics are out. And the Top Five are...

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the large national organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Their 2008 statistics were recently published. Reconstructive surgery and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures (laser, fillers, neurotoxin) increased compared to 2007.

As expected cosmetic surgery was down, but a relatively small 9%. Articles in The New York Times (April 6th, "When All You Have Left Is Your Pride") and the Wall Street Journal ("Keeping Up Appearances") may explain why patients continue to seek care to enhance their appearance. In some circles, appearance may be critical in a time of high competition for jobs. Time Magazine had a recent article about the popularity of Botox for men.

The top 5 cosmetic surgery procedures in 2008: Breast Augmentation, Rhinoplasty, Liposuction, Eyelid Surgery, and Tummy Tuck. Botox was the most popular non-invasive treatment (5 million in 2008).

For a complete listing visit www.plasticsurgery.org/Media.html