The Volume Of Minimally Invasive Cosmetic Procedures Performed In The United States Is Influenced By The Prevailing Economic Environment

Goals/Purpose:   Understanding which procedures are related to changes in the economic environment may help influence marketing strategies for plastic surgeons and lead to sustained growth during poorer economic times.  Leading indicators, those that tend to change ahead of the economy, include issuance of new building permits. Lagging indicators, those that tend to change after the economy, include Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the average prime rate charged by banks. Coincident indicators, those that tend to change with the economy, include Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and personal income. 

Methods/Technique:   Information from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons’ annual reports on plastic surgery statistics available on the internet, was collected from the year 2000 through 2012. Information regarding the total number of reconstructive, cosmetic surgical and cosmetic minimally invasive procedures was collected. Yearly economic indicators were collected from readily available websites.

Results/Complications:   The most striking association discovered through analysis of the data were the strongly positive relationships between minimally invasive cosmetic procedures and GDP, GDP/capita, personal income, and CPI.  Conversely there were significant negative relationships found between reconstructive procedures and the aforementioned variables.  Of note there was a weakly significant relationship between cosmetic surgical procedures and the issuance of new building permits.

Conclusion: Cosmetic minimally invasive procedures involve less downtime, are less expensive than surgical options, and are widely available making it easier for patients to decide on them quickly during good economic times. Furthermore, it is apparent plastic surgeons must be proficient at performing minimally invasive cosmetic procedures in order to maintain a clientele and offer patients a more affordable option during tough economic times. This may lead to further business growth during favorable economic times.  In addition this study suggests the importance of informing the public of the need to obtain a qualified board certified plastic surgeon to perform these minimally invasive procedures.