Elective and Reconstructive Surgeries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Elective and Reconstructive Surgeries - Essay Example Plastic surgery began after World War I but became popular only in 2006 and 2007 not only in the United States of America but also in the whole world. South Korea has 74 procedures per 10,000 people and the United States only has 42 procedures per 10,000 people so South Korea has the highest rate of plastic surgery but the United States has the highest number at 1,300,000 plastic surgeries every year so it is more common in the United States to have plastic surgery (â€Å"It’s official,† 2012). Plastic surgery is actually a big part of American life. In the United States, there were 1.6 million cosmetic surgeries last year. According to American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there were 307,000 procedures for breast augmentation, 244,000 for nose reshaping, 205,000 for liposuction, 196,000 for eyelid surgery, and 119,000 for facelift. Eyelid surgery increased by 6% and eyelid surgery 5%. For reconstructive surgery, there were around 5 million cases last year. Tumor remova l was 4.2 million, laceration repair was 303,000, maxillofacial surgery was 195,000, scar revision was 175,000 and hand surgery was 120,000. Maxillofacial surgery was popular because it was up 125 percent from 2010. More reconstructive surgeries were done compared to elective surgeries so reconstructive surgeries remain popular in the United States. ... Reconstructive surgeries cost around $80,000 to $200,000 if you don’t have insurance, according to Yahoo Answers but this is brain surgery so it is naturally expensive (â€Å"How much would,† 2009). However, the cost of plastic surgery is really an issue in the United States. This research paper will find out if the cost of plastic surgery is really a big issue or not. Elective Surgeries According to the encyclopedia of surgery, an elective surgery is a â€Å"planned, non-emergency surgical procedure which is medically required or optional† (â€Å"Elective Surgery,† 2012). However, in this paper, elective surgeries mean cosmetic surgeries that are optional. The cost of cosmetic surgery in the United States is extremely expensive but it depends on the type of procedure. Liposuction for five areas costs around $10,000 but spider vein costs $200 (â€Å"Cost of Plastic Surgery,† 2011). Breast augmentation is around $3,500 to $12,000 (â€Å"I’m C oncerned,† 2012). Facelifts cost around $6,600 (â€Å"Cosmetic Surgeries,† 2011). However, even though cosmetic surgery is expensive, health insurance does not cover it (â€Å"Reconstructive Surgery,† 2012). The popularity of cosmetic surgery is still high even though insurance does not cover it. From 2010 to 2011, there is a 5% increase in elective cosmetic surgeries (â€Å"13.8 Million Cosmetic,† 2011). It is really popular because just in 2010, Americans spent $845 million only for facelifts (â€Å"Cosmetic Surgeries,† 2011). In 2011, the top American cities for elective cosmetic surgery are Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, Sacramento, Baltimore, Nashville, Louisville, Seattle, and Washington DC