USA Today’s Healthy Perspective blog has a story about an increase in breast implants, tummy tucks, face lifts, and the like.

Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function.

Plastic surgery numbers may not be perfect economic indicators – but they are going in the same upward direction as the stock market and employment rate, after falling during the recession.

Many procedures have become less expensive and more finely tuned, which means a much lower chance that you’ll end up looking like Jocelyn Wildenstein.

Of course, surgeries still haven’t hit the heights of 2005′s Golden Plastic Age, when Americans endured a whopping 2.1 million surgeries.

On the other hand, doctors are still raking in the big bucks for less invasive procedures: Botox, facial fillers, laser hair removal, and other painful and expensive outpatient tweaks.

ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board certified plastic surgeons in the United States.

And while Joan Rivers may be the big influence on plastic surgery, Madonna could become the unwilling spokesperson for non invasive work.

ASPS members can report procedural information through the first online national database for plastic surgery procedures, Tracking Operations and Outcome for Plastic Surgeons (TOPS).

Plastic surgeons who watched Madonna’s performance at the Super Bowl said it looked like she had achieved great results with just such techniques — after looking a little overdone in the past.

According to statistics released today by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), 13.8 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures (both surgical and minimally invasive) were performed in the United States in 2011, up 5 percent since 2010.

Lament the long gone concept of aging gracefully if you must, but face lifts are only a fraction of plastic surgeries — bigger boobs continue to keep this industry afloat.

Adrian Zuckerberg is a medical journalist based in Sydney, Australia. Adrian has a passion for medical breaking news stories and loves writing about medical news and opinions that matters most to its audience. Adrian spends a lot of time discovering and researching latest medical markets and industry news stories in order to make sure the latest and greatest stories are brought to you first on Medicrelief.com.