Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Spain-Trends for 2011

To keep up with new trends, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), the leading national organization of board-certified plastic surgeons who specialize in cosmetic surgery, publishes its predictions for cosmetic surgery for the coming year, publish their predicition of trends yearly, and of course also for 2011.

These predictions are based on patient questionnaires as well as interviews with surgeons who are chairing the countries leading academic Plastic surgery departments.

They are also influenced by publications in relevant scientific literature.
This expose is a very valuable predictor both for patients and surgeons working in the field of aesthetic surgery.

These forecasts have shown to be very reliable in recent years.

For me the most interesting trends for cosmetic surgery in Spain trends are the following:

1. The society foresees that demand for facelifts and other facial rejuvenation surgery will increase.
This is a relativeley easy prediction since growing age in the overall population will always fuel facelift surgery numbers.
Recent techniques with less invasive procedures have made the procedure regain popularity.
Non-surgical facial rejuvenation procedures will also see some growth, and I believe they will continue to do so in the coming years.
I see a steeply rising interest both amongst surgeons as well as, naturally, patients in less invasive and scar free facelifts.
I believe that especially new advances in fat grafting and possibly improvement of the PRP (plateteled richened plasma) technique promise ome exciting advances in 2011.

2. Our population is more and more aware of the dangers and health consequences of obesity, and the number of patients seeking plastic surgery procedures for body contouring after dramatic weight loss (abdominoplasty, lower body lift, upper arm lift, etc.) will rise in 2011.

We have seen a steady increase in such surgeries in the last years, with specific demand for combined body contouring procedures (so called „mummy makeover“).

In this kind of surgery, an abdminoplasty(tummy tuck) is usually combined with a breast surgery procedure, usually breast augmentation with or without breast uplift.
Other combinations are possible and frequent.

Recent publications have clearly shown this to be a safe procedure for a skilled surgcial team and patient satisfaction rates tend to be signifcantly higher as compared to single stage procedures.

In our own publication of 132 cases treated in Cirumed Clinic Marbella we have reported the second largest series published worldwide so far.
In summary we have seen the difference in patient satisfaction to be nearly 15 % in favour of the combined group.
With weight loss procedures on the rise, especially the gastric ballon procedure, this trend will likely continue both in Europe as well as in the U.S.

3.Breast implants, the second most popular cosmetic surgery in Spain (and worldwide), will continue to grow.
This year many baby boomer women who have aging implants and/or breast ptosis will replace their implants and have breast lifts.
In my department, we have also seen a marked increase in demand for non-implant breast augmentation, mainly Macrolane and fat transfer.
Again, very promising advances in fat transfer techniques, such as for example jet assisted liposuction, promise exciting advances in 2011.

4. To my assessment buttock augmentation with fat transfer (“Brazilian butt lift”) will be one of the most popular procedures in coming years.
In our department , we currently see a dramatic increase in demand for this kind of surgery, which relies on transplanting fat , usually from flanks and thighs, to augment the buttocks.
The procedure has seen great advances enhancing the survival of fat grafts in recent years, and will continue to do so in the future.
Again, I think that the jet assisted fat tarnsfer procedure is the one that is so far the most promising advance.
Recent advances in fat transplant technique have made the procedure more predictable and reliable.
It requires a lot of experience in tissue transfer to do the procedure correctly, but I think that the rates of patient satisfaction are really worth it.
I think that the secret of success in this procedure that patients somehow have the feeling to “kill two birds with one stone, since harvesting of the fat, which is done by liposuction with special cannulas, results in some good toning of abdominal and hip areas.

5. As the popularity of non surgical and minimally invasive procedures continues to grow, surgeons and manufacturers will develop new techniques and products that advance the science, produce even better results and lessen recovery time.
This will of course continue in 2011.
In our department laser liposuction is currently an innovative technique which we develop with great enthusiasm.

The quality for Plastic surgery research has steadily increased in recent years and will continue to do so in 2011.

Reproducible data and quality documentation will increase consumer safety and satisfaction.
Patients will be able to rely on reproducible data and less on self declared „artists“.

Following the trend in increased consumer sophistication patients will increasingly want to know if the latest procedure and device being touted on the internet and TV talk show really works and if it is safe.
By incorporating evidence-based medicine into the core specialties of plastic surgery, we will make it easier for both doctors and patients to determine fact from fiction.
This will raise quality in cosmetic surgery in this and coming years.

Should you require some more extensive information either in the Department of Plastic Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery at Hospital Quiron Malaga or in Cirumed Clinic Marbella please contact us.