Most Popular Plastic Surgery Procedures in the U.S.

Plastic surgery is performed to meet aesthetic as well as reconstructive goals. Procedures designed to slow down or reverse the signs of aging, resolve contour irregularities or deformities and beautify appearance fall under the category of cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery, on the other hand, is performed to correct birth defects and deformities caused by traumatic events and surgery. Breast augmentation in NYC and abdominoplasty are some of the popular procedures that have witnessed a significant increase in demand over the years.

Popular Plastic Surgery Procedures in 2022

The demand for both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery in the United States has been growing. Along with partners CosmetAssure and PatientNow, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the largest plastic surgery organization in the world and the voice of 92% of board-certified plastic surgeons in the US, released the results of its procedural research for 2022 on September 2023. The report indicates that 26.2 million surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic and reconstructive treatments were performed in the United States in 2022. There was a 19% increase in cosmetic surgery procedures since 2019.

Gregory Greco, DO, FACS, President of ASPS, stated that this survey validates the broader trend of people’s increasing desire to look and feel better in their own skin. As plastic surgery gains popularity and acceptance, ASPS member surgeons are dedicated to maintaining high safety standards and continuing to place a high priority on patient and provider education, he noted.

Top Cosmetic and Reconstructive Procedures

The top 5 cosmetic surgery procedures performed in 2022 out of roughly 1.5 million treatments total were:

• Liposuction (325,669 treatments; a 23% increase from 2019)
• Breast Augmentation: 298,568 treatments performed, 4% more than in 2019
• Abdominoplasty (161,948 procedures; 37% more in 2019)
• Breastlift treatments (143,364; 30% increase from 2019)
• Eyelid Surgery: 115,261 operations, 13% more than in 2019
• In addition, 71,364 breast reduction procedures were performed in 2022, a 54% increase over 2019.

The top 5 cosmetic minimally invasive treatments performed in 2022 out of the almost 23.7 million operations conducted, were:

• Neuromodulator Procedures: 8,736,591 (73 percent more than in 2019)
• Fillers with Hyaluronic Acid (4,883,419 operations, up 70% from 2019)
• Skin Resurfacing (3,322,292 procedures
• Combination lasers for skin treatment (2,915,199 procedures)
• Lip Augmentation with injectable materials (1,378,631 Procedures)

A Rise Post Pandemic

Comparing statistics from 2019 to post-pandemic data, ASPS observed a notable increase in the total number of procedures. Due to the flexibility hybrid work schedules provide for recovery and the increased amount of time spent working from home, patients are no longer delaying the treatments they have been considering. Trends that ASPS noted include:

• More focus on the Face and Neck: People usually start improving facial features and neck appearance which they first notice when they look in the mirror. Plastic surgery trends were influenced by COVID-related behaviors and trends. Masks made the eyes the center of attention on the face for nearly a year, which was probably the reason for the increase in the number of eyelid procedures, making them the fourth most common cosmetic surgery procedure in 2022. Moreover, cheek implants increased by 150% and facelift treatments by 8% over the previous year.
• Surge in Body-Centric Procedures: There was a spike in both surgical and nonsurgical operations. Comparisons to 2019 showed a 23% increase in liposuction and a 77% increase in noninvasive fat removal procedures. According to Dr. Greco, board-certified plastic surgeons can help patients feel their best following lifestyle adjustments that have affected their weight by offering a variety of minimally invasive and surgical solutions. Surgeons who are members of ASPS collaborate with patients to develop a customized treatment plan that puts safety first and enhances effectiveness.
  
  

  Breast lifts gained the fourth position after a 30% increase since the start of the epidemic, though breast augmentation continued to be a popular cosmetic surgical operation, second only to liposuction. Patients’ desire for cosmetic breast reductions increased dramatically, rising 54% from 2019 to 2020. This suggests that people are valuing aesthetics in addition to comfort.

• Social Media Affects Perception and Trends: Transparency has steadily increased since the epidemic started since patients are now more willing to share their experiences with plastic surgery on social media, which has led to an increase in some treatments. For the first time, lip augmentation with fillers made it into the top five most popular minimally invasive treatments, and procedures for buccal fat removal also increased. Though this specific surgery was not tracked in 2019, more than 4,500 procedures performed in 2022.

Whether it’s hi def liposuction or breast augmentation in NYC, optimal results require expertise. In an established NYC surgical practice, men and women can get customized treatments for any area that they wish to improve. Manned by expert plastic surgeons, these facilities can help you achieve your goals safely and effectively.

Read our blog post: The Surge in the Demand for Male Liposuction and Why It Is So Popular