According to statistics recently released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), more than 6.2 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2003. There was no increase in the number of reconstructive procedures overall, but the number of patients choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon increased by 11 percent.

"By combining the artistry and healing skills of the plastic surgeon with science, technology and procedural advances, we can transform injuries and defects to their former or an enhanced form," said Rod Rohric, MD, ASPS president. "Board-certified plastic surgeons have trained for years to acquire their unique skill set, which enables them to perform a wide breadth of procedures, from hand surgery to burn and wound care, to cleft lip and palate, craniofacial and birth defect repair to reconstruction of injuries resulting from trauma or accidents."

The top five reconstructive surgeries performed in 2003 included tumor removal (4,463,500), laceration repair (406,184), scar revision (232,114), hand surgery (199,787) and breast reduction (113,140).

Breast reductions, the only form of reconstructive surgery not covered by many health insurance plans, actually increased 11 percent, in part due to a public education campaign conducted by the ASPS to inform women suffering from physical symptoms of overly large breasts about the procedure. Breast reduction following mastectomy decreased eight percent over 2002 and 15 percent over the past three years. According to the American Cancer Society, this decline is the result of earlier detection of breast cancer, allowing successful non-surgical treatment.

ASPS are the largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world and the foremost authority on cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS also offers the most valid and reliable statistics available on plastic surgery procedures. The 2003 statistics were collected through a database called Tracking Operations and Outcomes for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS), the first national online database for plastic surgery procedures.