Clinics getting a lift from Botox
Local plastic surgeons are seeing an upswing in procedures such as Botox injections as patients forgo expensive cosmetic surgery amid the down economy. The trend is keeping practices busy — and helping them make up for a drop in surgical revenue.
Surgeries have been off pace by about 40% in recent months at the Voci Center Cosmetic and Laser Plastic Surgery in Charlotte, says owner Dr. Vincent Voci.
“With the economic crisis, it just dove,” says Voci, who has owned the practice for 24 years. “It’s still half of what it was maybe two years ago.”
He says his practice’s surgery revenue dropped 20% in 2008. He declines to disclose financial details but says patients seeking Botox and cosmetic fillers have helped to counteract the revenue shortfall.
Noninvasive services now account for 36% of his clinic’s practice, with those procedures increasing about 8% during the past year.
The procedures require patients to come back every three to four months, with fees ranging between $450 and $1,200 per visit.
By comparison, the national average cost for a facelift was $5,031 in 2007, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The organization hasn’t compiled figures for 2008.
“If it wasn’t for Botox and Restalyne (a filler), we would be in serious trouble,” Voci says. “It’s great for business, but it’s also great for the patients.”
The costs of such treatments aren’t covered by insurance. Still, injections and other minimally invasive procedures offer an affordable way for patients to maintain their appearance without breaking the budget, says Dr. Stephan Finical, a partner at Charlotte Plastic Surgery.
Botox, chemical peels and hyaluronic fillers, which firm up sagging skin, are among the most popular treatments, he says.
“We’re still seeing an increase (in injectables) this year, despite a bad economy,” Finical says.
Charlotte Plastic Surgery saw 400 to 500 more patients seeking injections in 2008, about a 6% increase in the number of procedures.
Finical estimates patients wanting noninvasive services make up about 10% of his daily visits, with the remainder seeking cosmetic or reconstructive surgeries. Injectables “continue to grow every single year,” he says. “I think what it really is, is an entry-level type of procedure for many people.”
Those treatments don’t replace surgery in the long term, Finical says.
More than 70% of plastic surgeons nationwide reported an increased or stable demand for minimally invasive procedures during the first half of 2008, while surgical procedures decreased, according to a American Society of Plastic Surgeons survey.
A separate national survey of 400 patients found that nearly 60% said the economy is affecting their decisions regarding cosmetic surgery, with 27% considering less-expensive options.
Patients “just look for pragmatic choices to get the most and still feel comfortable with where they are financially,” says Dr. Felmont Eaves, a partner at Charlotte Plastic Surgery.
Eaves, who is also vice president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, sees about 50 patients per week. At least 10 of them inquire about injections, he says.
The trend may change, he says, as the recession subsides. “Once people start sensing (the economy is) going to be OK, I think there’s actually going to be a backlog of people who want the surgical procedures.”
QUICK INFO
SAVING FACE
•Minimally invasive cosmetic procedures increased 9% nationwide to nearly 10 million patients in 2007.
•Patients spent nearly $6 billion on those procedures.
Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons
source: http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2009/01/12/story9.html?b=1231736400^1758458
