gms | German Medical Science

46. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft der Plastischen, Rekonstruktiven und Ästhetischen Chirurgen (DGPRÄC), 20. Jahrestagung der Vereinigung der Deutschen Ästhetisch-Plastischen Chirurgen (VDÄPC)

01.10. - 03.10.2015, Berlin

Plastic surgery statistics: evidence and implications

Meeting Abstract

  • presenting/speaker P. Niclas Broer - Klinikum Bogenhausen - Städt. Klinikum München, Deutschland
  • Paul Heidekrueger - Klinikum Bogenhausen - Städt. Klinikum München, Deutschland
  • Sabrina Juran - United Nations Population Fund, Technical Division, Population and Development Branch, New York, NY
  • Anup Patel - Yale University, New Haven, Conneticut
  • Milomir Ninkovic - Klinikum Bogenhausen - Städt. Klinikum München, Deutschland

Deutsche Gesellschaft der Plastischen, Rekonstruktiven und Ästhetischen Chirurgen. Vereinigung der Deutschen Ästhetisch-Plastischen Chirurgen. 46. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft der Plastischen, Rekonstruktiven und Ästhetischen Chirurgen (DGPRÄC), 20. Jahrestagung der Vereinigung der Deutschen Ästhetisch-Plastischen Chirurgen (VDÄPC). Berlin, 01.-03.10.2015. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2015. Doc261

doi: 10.3205/15dgpraec261, urn:nbn:de:0183-15dgpraec2613

Published: September 28, 2015

© 2015 Broer et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Outline

Text

Background: The American Society of Plastic Surgeons publishes yearly procedural statistics, collected through questionnaires and online via TOPS (Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons). The statistics, disaggregated by U.S. region, leave two important factors unaccounted for: 1) the underlying base population, and 2) the number of surgeons performing the procedures. The presented analysis puts the regional distribution of surgeries into perspective and contributes to fulfilling the TOPS legislation objectives.

Methods: 2005 to 2013 ASPS statistics were analyzed by geographic region in the U.S. Using population estimates from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau, procedures were calculated per 100,000 population. Then, based on the ASPS member roster, the rate of surgeries per surgeon by region was calculated and the interaction of these two variables related to each other.

Results: In 2013, 1,668,420 aesthetic surgeries were performed in the U.S., resulting in the following ASPS ranking: 1st Mountain/Pacific (Region 5; 502,094 procedures, 30% share), 2nd New England/Middle Atlantic (Region 1; 319,515, 19%), 3rd South Atlantic (Region 3; 310,441, 19%), 4th East/West South Central (Region 4; 274,282, 16%) and 5th East/West North Central (Region 2; 262,088, 16%). However, considering underlying populations, distribution and ranking appear to be different, displaying a smaller variance in surgical demand. Further, the number of surgeons and rate of procedures show great regional variation.

Conclusion: Demand for plastic surgery is influenced by patients’ geographic background and varies among U.S. regions. While ASPS data provide important information, additional insight regarding the demand for surgical procedures can be gained by taking certain demographic factors into consideration.