Study Shows Many Cosmetic Procedures Safer When Performed in Doctor's Office

ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. -- According to a study released this month in Dermatologic Surgery, patients who undergo cosmetic procedures under general anesthesia are at a higher risk of complication and death than those who had procedures performed with local anesthesia.

With more than 8.3 million outpatient surgical procedures conducted in 2000, many state medical boards and legislatures are looking to regulate office-based procedures because it is perceived that in-office procedures put the patient at greater risk. According to lead author and dermasurgeon Brett Coldiron, MD, office-based procedures are safer for some types of surgeries than an ambulatory surgery center. His study, published in the December issue of Dermatologic Surgery, the journal of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, shows that complications and death from in-office procedures are most often the result of the procedure performed and type of anesthesia administered, not simply where the procedure was performed.

"We found that physicians operating with general anesthesia tend to do multiple procedures at the same time, which causes a greater risk to the patient because the patient stays under general anesthesia for longer period of time," said Dr. Coldiron, clinical professor, department of dermatology and otolaryngology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. In fact, earlier this year, the Florida medical board put a restriction on multiple procedures, particularly not allowing abdominoplasty and liposuction to be performed at the same time under intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. Dr. Coldiron's study finds that since Florida put the restriction in place, there have been no deaths due to liposuction in an office setting.

"Office-based surgery is safe and effective when performed by a properly trained physician with the appropriate procedure and level of anesthesia," said Gary Monheit, MD, president-elect of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), associate professor, department of dermatology and ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Ala. "The real concern is that patients who undergo cosmetic procedures are often unaware of all the risks involved, including where to have the surgery and which types of anesthesia are available."

In fact, a new survey commissioned by the ASDS and conducted by Harris Interactive® shows that 61 percent of U.S. women between 30 and 50 years of age believe that a cosmetic surgical procedure such as liposuction is safer if performed in a hospital setting as opposed to a physician's office.¹

It is this lack of knowledge among consumers about their options that concerns the ASDS. Dr. Monheit adds: "Many consumers don't know that liposuction is a procedure that can now be done safely in a physician's office using a diluted local anesthesia called tumescent anesthesia."

Many patients and physicians do see the benefits of having cosmetic surgeries performed in an office because it is more convenient, avoids infections that can occur in hospitals, eliminates some of the complications of surgery due to general anesthesia, and costs 60 to 70 percent less than hospital surgeries because of the costly overhead required to run hospital operating rooms.

The ASDS urges consumers to check a practitioner's qualifications and credentials before undergoing any procedure to avoid the risk of complications from substandard treatment, and suggests consumers ask their physicians and themselves the following questions:

-- Why is this the right procedure for me?
-- What kind of anesthesia can be used for this procedure? Where is the best location for this procedure?
-- What are the short- and long-term risks of this procedure and are there additional risks to doing multiple procedures in one surgery?
-- Is my doctor properly credentialed and board-certified in dermatology or another specialty with equivalent training and experience?
-- Does my doctor answer my questions no matter how minor?

1. Methodology
Harris Interactive conducted the survey November 10-15, 2004, on behalf of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) via its QuickQuery(SM) online omnibus among a nationwide cross-section of 1,134 U.S. women ages 30-50. The data were weighted to be representative of the total U.S. adult population of women ages 30-50 on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online.

In theory, with probability samples of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. This online sample was not a probability sample.

About ASDS
With more than 4,200 members, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, founded in 1970, is the largest specialty organization in the world exclusively representing dermatologic surgeons -- board-certified physicians who are specifically trained to treat the health, function and appearance of the skin and soft tissue with both medically necessary and cosmetic procedures, using both surgical and non-surgical methods.

About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive Inc., the 15th-largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world, is a Rochester, N.Y.-based global research company that blends premier strategic consulting with innovative and efficient methods of investigation, analysis and application. Known for The Harris Poll® and for pioneering Internet-based research methods, Harris Interactive conducts proprietary and public research to help its clients achieve clear, material and enduring results.

Harris Interactive combines its intellectual capital, databases and technology to advance market leadership through U.S. offices and wholly owned subsidiaries: London-based HI Europe, Paris-based Novatris, Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan, through newly acquired WirthlinWorldwide, a Reston, Va.-based research and consultancy firm ranked 25th largest in the world, and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V.

Source: American Society for Dermatologic Surgery