Plastic Surgery News, the official newsletter of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, has released their Top 10 Plastic Surgery Stories of the Decade. Here they are:

1. Face transplantation becomes a reality

On November 15, 2005, face transplantation became a reality when French plastic surgeons Bernard Devachelle and Jean-Michel Dubernard performed the first partial face transplant on a 38 year old woman whose face had been mutilated by her dog six months earlier. The procedure has caused debate in regards to the safety of immunosuppresion.

2. Silicone implants return

On November 17, 2006, the FDA approved the use of silicone implants for breast augmentation since the scientific evidence showed that the implants are safe.

3. Plastic surgery and “reality” TV

The past decade saw a surge of reality television programming aimed at entertaining and popularizing plastic surgery. Shows such as Extreme Makeover, The Swan, Dr. 90210, and others helped diffuse the surgical options of cosmetic surgery. Unfortunately, these shows did not foster realistic expectations and possible complications.

4. Botox launches minimally invasive trend

With FDA approval in 2002, Botox has revolutionized non-invasive cosmetic surgery. There were more than 5 million injections of Botox in 2008. Now one in five Botox patients is a man.

5. The next generation of soft-tissue fillers arrives

In December of 2003, the FDA approved Restylane. Since then, a slate of tissue fillers has been approved, including Hylaform, Radiesse, Artefill, Juvederm, and others. The fillers provide a non-invasive option for patients that would like to look younger by erasing wrinkles or folds.

6. High-profile deaths raise patient safety awareness

Severeal high profile deaths of cosmetic surgery patients in the past decade highlighted the importance of  using a fellowship trained Plastic Surgeon and undergoing procedures in certified surgical centers and hospitals.

7. Plastic Surgery goes to Washington

Health care reform continues to be a hot topic in the United States. Uncertainty looms as to which changes, if any, will take place. In 2009, the Botax failed to gain support, thus avoiding taxation of Americans for cosmetic procedures.

8. Post-bariatric boom

Bariatric surgery has continued to increase in popularity for weight loss. In 2008, more than 200,000 patients opted for bariatric procedures. With the massive weight loss, body contouring deformities consisting of excess skin and folds develop. We are proud to have contributed to the current techniques and innovations to address and correct these deformities.

9. Increase in office-based surgery

Private certified surgery centers have allowed the plastic surgeon to reduce costs for the patients, provide a more private environment, have greater control on infections, and offer more surgical dates. All this, without compromising safety or efficiency.

10. Medical tourism

The past decade has seen a surge in patients traveling to other countries to have plastic surgery procedures performed at a lesser cost. Drawbacks often include having to travel to an unfamiliar place, not knowing the surgeon’s exact qualifications or the state of the facilities, and inability to follow up during the postoperative period with the foreign surgeons. Although ironic, many patients from Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico, have chosen to travel to El Paso to have their procedures done in state-of-the-art facilities, by U.S. trained Plastic Surgeons, at lesser or the same cost as having the procedures done in Mexico.

The past decade was definitely prosperous for the Plastic Surgery field. At , we are exited to see what the next decade will bring. We are also proud to say that we continue to participate in research and development of new techniques for the future of plastic and cosmetic surgery.

Thanks for reading,
Frank Agullo, MD