New Survey Reveals Americans Trust Their Faces To Facial Plastic Surgeons

Main Category: Cosmetic Medicine / Plastic Surgery
Article Date: 11 Sep 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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No one can get away from aging, but the road divides when it comes to how to age; the smart way or the uninformed way. A new study commissioned by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) shows that the majority of people look for an experienced, certified facial plastic surgeon over general practitioners when it comes to facial plastic surgery.

The majority of Americans siding with expertise are employing informed decision-making skills, reinforcing their desire to make smart choices. In fact, 80 percent of Americans trust their faces to the surgical expertise and care of a facial plastic surgeon who specializes in cosmetic surgery of the head, face and neck over a general plastic surgeon. According to the survey, Americans ages 18-64 are more reliant on facial plastic surgeons as being more qualified to treat their specialized areas than general plastic surgeons.

Highly publicized tales of surgeries-gone-wrong, both invasive and non-invasive, have reinforced the importance of research to properly identify a highly experienced, board-certified surgeon. With the vast number of surgeons in practice today, it is more important than ever to make informed decisions when considering an elective facial plastic surgery.

AAFPRS certification is thorough and rigorous. AAFPRS surgeons not only complete a four year specialized residency in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery which includes Facial Plastic Surgery, but many also undergo an additional one-year AAFPRS fellowship in Facial Plastic Surgery.

The AAFPRS recommends the following tips to assist in making educated decisions when choosing the best surgeon for each individual's specific needs:

-- Do your homework. Check to make sure that the surgeon's area of expertise and corresponding board certification is in facial plastic surgery. The AAFPRS interactive Web site - http://www.facemd.org - will confirm a facial plastic surgeon's membership to this organization.

-- Be informed. The AAFPRS can also be utilized to obtain complimentary background materials on specific procedures. Studying these materials before contacting a surgeon makes the patient better informed and can help to develop a list of questions to ask prospective surgeons.

Women have the utmost faith in facial plastic surgeons when it comes to turning back the hands of time of the head, neck and face. 83 percent believe that facial plastic surgeons are more competent to treat their faces, heads or necks than a general plastic surgeon; 78 percent of men agree. The AAFPRS also reports that 85 percent of adult Americans would undergo a facial plastic surgery procedure if given the chance. This same survey reported a 27 percent increase in surgical and non-surgical activity among men and women since 2000.

But what, exactly, would Americans get done if they had the chance of having a free service by a facial plastic surgeon? 26 percent admitted to wanting an eye lift, followed by neck surgery (21 percent), hair transplants (16 percent), nose jobs (14 percent), facelifts (13 percent), chin augmentation (7 percent), and lip enhancement (3 percent).

About the AAFPRS

The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is the world's largest association of facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons with more than 2,800 members - whose cosmetic reconstructive surgery focuses on the face, head and neck. Academy fellows are Board certified and subscribe to a code of ethics. In addition, the AAFPRS provides consumers with free information and brochures and a list of qualified facial plastic surgeons in their area by visiting the AAFPRS Web site, http://www.facemd.org.

The AAFPRS Survey was conducted by Kelton Research, using Random Digit Dialing of both listed and unlisted numbers. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total U.S. population ages 18 and over. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
http://www.facemd.org

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