New York, NY (May 03, 2001) — What do the world’s leading cosmetic plastic surgeons talk about when they get together once a year for the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS)? This year’s meeting, May 3-9 at the Hilton New York, has the usual and the not-so-usual on its agenda. That’s because plastic surgery is not just surgery anymore.

According to Dallas plastic surgeon Rod Rohrich, MD, who heads the Scientific Program, "The era of anti-aging and wellness is here. Now we’re looking at the big picture that extends beyond surgical procedures and into a ‘look and feel your best at any age’ mentality."

That doesn’t mean surgeons attending the ASAPS meeting won’t spend most of their hours listening to colleagues report on the latest surgical techniques such as reduced-scar breast lifts and reductions, and power-assisted lipoplasty. Skin care is also a big item, covered by presentations on the new generation of wrinkle reduction lasers and "quick fix" soft tissue fillers. Then there is the anxiously awaited follow-up on the "twins study" that compares facelifts performed by four well-known plastic surgeons on two sets of identical twins – sure to spark friendly debate on which lift looks best over time. All this, plus 174 companies exhibiting new and improved cosmetic surgery technology.