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Senior Citizens & Plastic Surgery: A New Trend?

by Wendy Travis

Once a practice limited to Hollywood divas and the wealthy, plastic surgery has now become common practice for both men and women of all ages and walks of life. The popularity of procedures like brow lifts and breast augmentations have now come to the senior crowd as well, with a significant percentage of the patients seeking these procedures falling into the over-65 demographic. With many doctors treating patients in their golden years, concerns have also been raised about whether elderly patients present too much risk for these elective procedures. We’ll take a look at some of the latest research to determine whether plastic surgery for seniors is sound medical practice.

The Rise in Cosmetic Treatments for Seniors

According to statistics by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 84,685 patients over the age of 65 sought out plastic surgery procedures in 2010. Of that number, more than 26,000 had face lifts, nearly 25,000 had cosmetic eyelid surgeries, 6,400 indulged in liposuction and more than 5,800 had breast reductions. Smaller numbers of patients also opted for forehead lifts, breast lifts and breast augmentations. Those numbers have been on a steady increase for many years, according to experts.

“As a matter of fact, over the past several years, that has been the largest growing group of patients by age category,” Dr. Richard Erlichman, a member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery told ABC News. However, performing elective surgery on individuals in this age bracket brings its own set of concerns to the operating table.

“Most of these people have medical problems that people in their 30’s and 40’s don’t, including high blood pressure and coronary artery disease,” Dr. Erlichman told ABC. “And those have to be taken into consideration before any type of surgical procedure is performed.”

Older people are also more likely to be on medications that could impact the outcome of the procedure. Since cosmetic surgery is primarily a matter of choice rather than necessity, all of the factors that could increase risk of complications, or affect the results of the treatment, should be carefully weighed before any procedure is performed.

Several doctors agree with Dr. Erlichman’s assessment. However, most also admit that the health of the patient is much more important than age when determining eligibility for elective cosmetic surgery.

What is the Risk Really?

While the general consensus among medical professionals is that elderly patients typically bring higher risk to the cosmetic surgery table, a recent study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic and reports on MSN Health suggests otherwise. In this study, the Cleveland Clinic looked at 216 women over the course of three years to determine whether patients who have facelifts over the age of 65 are more prone to complications.

The Cleveland Clinic study looked at a variety of variables, including operative details, co-morbidities and overall health status. When this information was combined with statistical analysis, the study found that if patients were properly screened prior to the surgery, there was no statistically significant increase in complications. The key to successful cosmetic surgery, according to the study’s results, was to carefully screen patients prior to the procedure, and exclude those who had medical conditions that significantly increased risk. Age was not a determining factor of success or safety in plastic surgery.

“Facelift surgery in the elderly has always been perceived to carry more post-operative risk,” Dr. James Zins, chairman of plastic surgery at Cleveland Clinic told MSN Health. “According to our study and pre-operative screenings, patients over 65 had no statistically significant increase in complications.”

Many elderly patients are seeking out cosmetic procedures today, because a longer life expectancy and healthier lifestyles are driving them to look as young outside as they feel on the inside. Marie Kolstad, who had a breast lift at the age of 83, told the New York Times, “Physically, I’m in good health, and I just feel like, why not take advantage of it? My mother lived a long time and I’m just taking it for granted that that will happen to me. And I want my children to be proud of what I look like.”

To learn more about plastic surgery options for senior citizens, or to schedule your own private consultation with a local, board certified surgeon, contact us today.