How are the statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) different from data on cosmetic surgery developed by other organizations?

Other organizations may gather data from only one specialty or from the sponsoring group’s own membership, so that their statistics reflect a limited portion of the actual cosmetic procedures performed. ASAPS surveys the specialists (board-certified plastic surgeons, dermatologists and otolaryngologists) most likely to perform the greatest number of cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures.

How accurate are the ASAPS statistics?

The survey portion of ASAPS research has a standard error of +/-3.0% at a 95% level of confidence. All projections from this data are based on mathematical formulas taking into account such factors as the total number of board-certified physicians in the three specialties and relative cosmetic surgical practice volumes.

Why is there so much variance in the statistical data on cosmetic surgery offered by various groups?

There are issues involved in any type of data gathering that can lead to variations in final figures. The survey scope, the weight assigned to different variables and the way in which data is projected all affect the result. ASAPS has developed its survey methodology based on more than 30 years’ experience as the leading organization in cosmetic surgery education and research.

If ASAPS membership is limited to board-certified plastic surgeons, why does it choose to report on procedures done by dermatologists and otolaryngologists?

Since 1967, ASAPS’ mission has been the cosmetic surgical education of physicians certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. We believe that the scope and depth of training provided by an accredited plastic surgery residency program is important to the safe and effective performance of many cosmetic surgical operations. Otolaryngologists and dermatologists also receive residency training that equips them to perform certain types of cosmetic procedures included in the ASAPS survey. The contributions of these specialists help to balance the survey results and project accurate national totals for all cosmetic procedures, both surgical and nonsurgical.
It is a fact that many physicians perform procedures that are outside the scope of their formal training, and this is of growing concern to state medical boards and others seeking to protect patient safety. ASAPS discusses specialty training in other media materials. To request additional information, call ASAPS at 212.921.0500.