Plastic Surgery Facts for Consumers
By definition, "plastic surgery" is any surgical procedure performed for improvement of a body part to or to enhance the shape and appearance of some part of the body.

Contrary to popular belief the term "plastic surgery" has nothing to do with the fake, the unnatural or the manufactured look portrayed by the word "plastic" attached to it. The term is derived from the Greek word "plastikos" which means "to mold or to take shape" which in fact is quite appropriate considering the scope and application of plastic surgery.

It is just wrong to consider plastic surgery facts in terms of physical appearance as the outcomes of the plastic surgery are most often twofold -- patients not only have a revamped body but also an enhanced sense of self-esteem and confidence.

According to an estimate from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 6.6 million Americans had cosmetic plastic surgery done in 2002. The figures of last year estimate it to be about 6.9 million. The last 2-3 years have been very characteristic in the history of plastic surgery; there has been a tremendous increase in the number of ethnic patients who have chosen to have cosmetic surgery procedures. The increase can definitely be attributed to the enormous benefits of plastic surgery for its patients. The data on ethnicity of patients for the year 2004 has presented some very interesting plastic surgery facts -- Hispanics continue to lead all ethnic groups with more than 921,000 cosmetic procedures performed, followed by African Americans with 769,000 procedures, up 67 percent; and Asians with 437,000 procedures, up 58 percent.