Worldwide Plastic Surgery Statistics Available For The First Time

The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) is a world leader in plastic surgery. After a year-long process, the Society has produced the "ISAPS Biennial Global Survey™" of plastic surgeons and procedures in the top 25 countries and regions representing 75% of all procedures in 2009. The ISAPS Survey marks the first time reliable international plastic surgery data has been obtained and analyzed by independent statistical specialists.

"This year marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of ISAPS," noted Foad Nahai, MD of the United States and current President of ISAPS. "The Society was founded at the United Nations by a group of concerned and proactive plastic surgeons. We could think of no better way of commemorating this important milestone than by commissioning and releasing this breakthrough Survey."

Geographic Trends

The ISAPS Global Survey revealed a new hierarchy of countries with the most surgical and non surgical cosmetic procedures. While the United States continues its dominance in the field, countries not always associated with plastic surgery are emerging as major centers.

The top 25 countries and regions are:

1. United States

2. China

3. Brazil

4. India

5. Mexico 

6. Japan

7. South Korea

8. Germany

9. Turkey

10. Spain

11. Argentina

12. Russia

13. Italy

14. France

15. Canada

16. Taiwan

17. United Kingdom

18. Colombia

19. Greece

21. Australia

22. Venezuela

23. Saudi Arabia

24. Netherlands

25. Portugal

20. Thailand

Most Popular Surgical and Non Surgical Procedures

For the last ten years, the consensus has been that breast augmentation was the most popular plastic surgery procedure. The ISAPS Global Survey reveals a new trend with liposuction representing 18.8% of all surgical procedures, followed by breast augmentation at 17%, and blepharoplasty (upper or lower eyelid lift) at 13.5%, rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) at 9.4% and abdominoplasty ("Tummy Tuck") at 7.3%.

The popularity of surgical procedures varied by country with Brazil, the United States, China, Mexico, India and Japan the dominant countries for the top five procedures.

Reflecting both advances in cosmetic surgery innovation and the desirability of less expensive treatments, the number of non surgical procedures performed by plastic surgeons actually topped surgical procedures. While there is no previous baseline of information against which to compare these figures, there can be no doubt that this is a dramatic turn of events.

The top five non surgical procedures are: toxins or neuromodulators injections (Botox, Dysport) (32.7%), hyaluronic acid injections (20.1%), laser hair removal (13.1%), autologous fat injections (taking a patient's fat from one location and transferring it in the same patient in another location) (5.9%) and IP Laser treatment (4.4%).