Breast augmentation is no longer the most performed cosmetic surgery operation in the world

Breast augmentation is no longer the most performed cosmetic surgery operation in the world.

She has just been dethroned by liposuction, according to a survey carried out by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) and published on January 9, 2023. This procedure of reshaping the silhouette which consists of suctioning excess fat on different areas of the body represents 14.8% of the total cosmetic surgeries performed in 2021. It therefore rises to the top of the ranking, followed by breast implants (13.1%).

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The report notes that liposuction is particularly popular in the United States, Brazil and Mexico.

Overall, the acts are up 24.8% from the previous year, but the survey does not specify which part of the body is most targeted.

In this quest for slimming, the demand is intergenerational, but it is mainly people aged 35 to 50 who have recourse to it.

Removal of prostheses

On the other hand, if it is still part of the top 3 of the most performed operations over the past four years, breast augmentation has only seen a slight increase of 3.8% in 2021. A lack of interest which is confirmed in parallel with the increase breast prosthesis removal procedures (+22.6%).

Figures which “reflect our experience following the publication of reports on the BIA-ALCL the previous year”, explains Dr. Gianluca Campiglio, editor-in-chief of the survey and plastic surgeon in Italy.

The specialist refers to recent revelations on the risks of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a very rare complication that can occur following the implantation of a breast prosthesis.

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Post-pandemic effect

The top 5 most popular surgeries in the world also include blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), rhinoplasty and abdominoplasty.

However, it is interesting to note that it is the thigh lift which shows the strongest growth of the year (+53.1%).

In terms of aesthetic medicine, it is the injection of botulinum toxin ("botox") which rises to the top of the ranking (41.6%), ahead of injections of hyaluronic acid (30%) and permanent hair removal ( 10.4%).

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"We've seen an interesting increase in so-called 'body contouring' related surgeries, such as liposuction, which is now ranked as the most common procedure, ahead of breast augmentation for the first time since many years, as well as a similar emerging trend for abdominoplasty, thigh lift and buttock augmentation”, analyzes Dr. Gianluca Campiglio in the same official press release.

The expert also points to a general resurgence of interest in the scalpel, confirmed by a 19.3% upsurge in procedures performed by plastic surgeons in 2021. “These data clearly reflect the experience of recovering from the negative impact of the COVID-19 the previous year on cosmetic procedures and the numbers now exceed pre-pandemic numbers,” he concluded.

The champions in this field are the United States, Brazil and Japan.

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