DONNA WRIGHT
Herald Staff Writer
Posted on Sat, May. 07, 2005

A surge in cosmetic surgery

If you had your nose done, your tummy tucked or your wrinkles erased with a shot of Botox last year, you are not alone.

U.S. physicians and surgeons performed nearly 11.9 million surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic treatments on patients last year, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Most of those procedures were done on aging Baby Boomers who want to maintain youthful appearances to match active lifestyles.

The vast majority of treatments - 90 percent - were performed on women, the survey said. But procedures on men are on the rise. The survey counted 1.2 million procedures performed on men, reflecting an 8 percent increase over 2003.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the educational arm of the The American Board of Plastic Surgery, whose certification is the gold standard for the profession, also reports business is booming, with liposuction and Botox treatments at the top of the list.

Dr. Enrique Fernandez of Bradenton has seen as increase in cosmetic surgery overall in the past few years.

Fernandez, whose practice is located at 2902 59th St. W., Suite A, listed facial rejuvenation, breast augmentation, liposuction and body contouring as the most common procedures requested by his patients.

Demand for less invasive, less costly procedures is driving the $12.5 billion cosmetic procedure industry, Fernandez said.

He cited Restylane as an example. Restylane is soft tissue filler that has replaced collagen as the treatment of choice to fill in folds and wrinkles and erase dimpled skin.

Restylane, Fernandez said, is very similar to the body's own soft tissue, reducing the potential for allergic reaction. A treatment lasts about six to eight months - much longer than the old collagen injections that caused problems for many patients, Fernandez said.

New minimally invasive procedures like Botox and a new stitching technique that can actually lift and suspend the tissue of the face, said Fernandez, are transforming facial plastic surgery.

Patients - especially Baby Boomers - want to reduce down time and cost while obtaining maximum results, Fernandez said.

"Less is better now," said Fernandez. "A face lift is not a face lift anymore."

While Fernandez still does reconstructive surgery for skin cancer patients, the vast majority of his practice is dedicated to cosmetic procedures.

Dr. Andre Renard of Parkway Plastic Surgery, 2401 University Parkway, does both reconstructive surgery as well as cosmetic surgery.

Like Fernandez, Renard has seen his cosmetic practice expand significantly over the past few years.

Carol Whitmore, a registered nurse and Renard's office manager as well as his wife, credits the popularity of TV shows like "Extreme Makeover" for exposing the taboos and removing the secrecy that once surrounded having a face lift or procedure to look more youthful.

Patients today have a new comfort level with having cosmetic work done, Whitmore said.

"People are not embarrassed anymore and they are not as secretive," said Whitmore.

Renard is now running one or two Botox clinics a week and it's not just women who are flocking in to have their wrinkles softened by the injections.

Men are getting Botox treatments as well, Whitmore said. Many of Renard's male patients are business professionals looking for a way to reduce the signs of stress and tiredness to achieve a younger, more healthful look.

Demand is so great, Whitmore said, that Renard could devote all of his time to cosmetic work.

But Renard is also deeply committed to helping breast cancer patients, said Whitmore, who described her husband's reconstruction practice as one of the largest in Florida.

Both Renard and Fernandez are board certified through the American Board of Plastic Surgeons and are members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Fernandez, past president of the Florida Society of Plastic Surgeons, is also a member of American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Board certification and society membership, Fernandez said, are critical indicators of skill level and training, both necessary to a safe as well as desirable outcome.