Study Shows Cosmetic Surgery Among Seniors Just as Safe as is for Younger Patients

Age is one of the factors that hinders senior citizens in undergoing cosmetic surgery. But according to the latest research, there should be nothing to worry about.

“Safety of Cosmetic Procedures in Elderly and Octogenarian Patients,” a recent study conducted by Max Yezhelyev, M.D., Vanderbilt University, Department of Plastic Surgery, discovered that the complication rate among older patients is no higher than younger patients undergoing cosmetic procedures.

They found out during the study that the mean age of senior patients was 69.1 years, whereas the mean age of younger patients was 39.2 years. Based on the data of CosmetAssure from May 2008 to May 2013, the postoperative problems among the older patients occurred at a rate of 1.94%, statistically irrelevant in comparison with the 1.84% rate among younger patients.

The rates were the same even though older patients have beyond-average health-related signs, like a higher Body Mass Index (25.4 percent in comparison with 24.2 percent in younger patients) and an advanced cases of diabetes (5.7 percent to 1.6 percent, respectively). However, older patients smoked at a rate of 3.4 percent compared to the younger patients’ 8.5 percent rate.

Minimizing their emphasis to 80-year-olds, the examiners discovered that patients this age or older will experience a complication rate of 2.2 percent, which is also basically irrelevant compared with both the 1.94 percent rate of all patients 65 above and the 1.84 percent rate of younger patients.

Dr. Yezhelyev states in Cosmetic Surgery Times that the results of their research will help a lot of plastic surgeons with explaining to their patients that age does not play a huge factor in whether or not they are a good candidate for cosmetic surgery.

According to Dr. Yezhelyev, one of the best ways to educate patients is by having “a comprehensive discussion of risks and advantages of aesthetic procedures among a patient and a plastic surgeon in each specific case.”

This research was recently presented in Chicago at Plastic Surgery The Meeting, the yearly scientific meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.