What specialties perform the most common outpatient cosmetic procedures in the United States?
BACKGROUND
The number of cosmetic procedures performed annually is on the rise and is being performed by more specialties.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine the relative outpatient cosmetic procedure experience of dermatology and other specialties. We also examined demographic data of patients who underwent cosmetic procedures.


METHODS
Demographics and data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) were analyzed to estimate the number of visits for office-based cosmetic procedures from 1995 to 2003 by specialty and type of procedure.


RESULTS
In order of decreasing frequency, the percentage of all cosmetic procedures performed in the outpatient setting by specialty was as follows: dermatology (48%), plastic surgery (38%), general surgery (>4%), otolaryngology (>3%), ophthalmology (>3%), facial plastic surgery (1%), family practice (<1%), pediatrics (<1%), and internal medicine (<1%). Most cosmetic procedures were performed on white, female patients in the 40- to 59-year-old age group. There was a mean of 55 visits per 1,000 whites and 27 visits per 1,000 nonwhites. Chemical peels and soft tissue fillers were the two most common procedures.


CONCLUSIONS
Dermatology as a specialty performs more office-based cosmetic procedures than other specialties. On a per-physician basis, dermatologists and plastic surgeons have far more experience with cosmetic procedures than other physicians.
Department of Dermatology, Center for Dermatology Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157-1071, USA.
Tamara Salam
TS
Housman
John G
JG
Hancox
Mohsin R
MR
Mir
Fabian
F
Camacho
Alan B
AB
Fleischer
Steven R
SR
Feldman
Phillip M
PM
Williford
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003357:Cosmetic Techniques / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013038:Specialization; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology