Evaluating Teens for Cosmetic Surgery

Plastic surgery has showen a steady increase from 1.5 million procedures in 2009 to 1.6 million in 2010. Of all procedures, breast augmentation was the most common, with 318,123 recorded. Liposuction was second, with 289,016 surgeries. Eyelid surgery was third with 152,123. Amoung these millions of patients, the number of TEEN surguries are booming.

In saying this, these are the guidelines for evaluating teenagers who are considering cosmetic surgery from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery :

• Assess physical maturity: Operating on a feature that has not yet fully developed could interfere with its growth, and continued growth could negate the benefits of surgery in later years.
• Explore emotional maturity and expectations: As with any patient, the young person should appreciate the benefits and limitations of the proposed surgery, and have realistic expectations.
• Check credentials: State laws permit any licensed physician to call themselves a “plastic” or “cosmetic” surgeon, even if not trained as a surgeon. Look for certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. If the doctor operates in an ambulatory or office-based facility, the facility should be accredited. Additionally, the surgeon should have operating privileges in an accredited hospital for the same procedure being considered.
• Explore risks and expected recovery times: Teens and their parents should understand the risks of surgery, postoperative restrictions on activity, and typical recovery times.

Common Cosmetic Plastic Surgical Procedures for Teens
The following are among the most common surgical procedures performed on those 18 years of age and younger, according to ASAPS statistics:

• Otoplasty: Ear surgery was the most popular surgical procedure in 2010 for teens. Ear surgery often is recommended for children as they near total ear development at age five or six. Correction of the ears prior to the child entering school helps eliminate potential psychological trauma from the teasing of classmates.
• Rhinoplasty: Nose reshaping is the most requested aesthetic surgical procedure by teens. It can be performed when the nose has completed 90 percent of its growth, which can occur as early as age 13 or 14 in girls and 15 or 16 in boys.
• Breast reduction: Breast reduction is frequently performed on girls with overly large breasts that may cause back and shoulder pain, as well as restrict physical activity. Breast reduction usually is delayed until the breasts have reached full development.
• Correction of breast asymmetry: Surgery can be performed when one breast significantly differs from the other either in size or shape. Except in cases of asymmetry and post trauma reconstruction, federal regulations prohibit breast implants for those under 18.
• Treatment of Gynecomastia: In some teenage boys, excessive breast development (gynecomastia) can become a significant psychosocial problem. Excess tissue can be removed to achieve a more masculine body contour.

Trends in Teen Cosmetic Surgery
Trend reports in the media of a significant increase in teen cosmetic surgery are not supported by authoritative statistics compiled by ASAPS:

For Those 18 and Under:
Ten Years Ago: there were 298,704 procedures in 2001 representing 3.5% of the total;
Five Years Ago: there were 174,851 procedures in 2005 representing 1.5% of the total;
Last Year: there were 203,308 procedures in 2009 representing 2.0% of the total;
This Year: there were 125,397 procedures in 2009 representing 1.3% of the total;

• The number of lipoplasty procedures performed on those 18 and younger has remained low, reflecting careful patient selection among this group: ASAPS statistics show that the number of procedures has decreased from 2,504 in 1997 to 1,798 in 2010.
• In 2010, there were 4,153 breast augmentation procedures performed on women 18 an under, 1.3% percent of the total number of breast augmentation procedures. The reasons for surgery were:

47% Cosmetic Bilateral Breast Augmentation;
19% Severe Asymmetry;
10% Poland's Syndrome (congenital absent breast);
10% Tubular breast Deformity;
11% Congenital Micromastia (severe underdevelopment);
3% Other


**If you are a teen or a parent of a teen who is seeking the right program to undergo any cosmetic procedure, please do not hesitate to contact Breast Beauty. We are here to answer all of your questions and provide you with all of the information you need to make the right decision for YOU!
 http://www.breastbeauty.net/






Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/280670#ixzz1JtlHk5jP
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/04/18/bibf0418.htm