Since 2003, CosmetAssure has accumulated the largest prospective database on aesthetic surgery complications. Our data provides valuable information to inform board-certified plastic surgeons about the risks of complications associated with elective cosmetic procedures. CosmetAssure understands that patient safety is a surgeon’s top priority, and we are committed to increasing patient safety by providing the most current statistics and studies to the plastic surgery community. The following articles have been published to educate surgeons and create safer aesthetic surgical procedures for patients.
Aesthetic Surgical Procedures in Men: Major Complications and Associated Risk Factors
By: Christodoulos Kaoutzanis, MD, Julian Winocour, MD, Max Yeslev, MD, PhD, Varun Gupta, MD, MPH, Ishan Asokan, MSc, Jason Roostaeian, MD, James C Grotting, MD, FACS, Kye Higdon, MD, FACS
Background: More and more men are choosing to have cosmetic surgery. This article identifies specific risk factors and procedures associated with major complications in males.
Safety of Cosmetic Surgery in Adolescent Patients
By: Max Yeslev, MD; Varun Gupta, MD; Julian Winocour, MD; R. Bruce Shack, MD; James C. Grotting, MD; and K. Kye Higdon, MD
Background: This study examines postoperative complications in adolescents and compares complication rates to older patients.
Venous Thromboembolism in the Cosmetic Patient: Analysis of 129,007 Patients
By: JulianWinocour, MD; Varun Gupta, MD, MPH; Christodoulos Kaoutzanis, MD; Hanyuan Shi, BA; R. Bruce Shack, MD; James C. Grotting, MD; and K. Kye Higdon, MD
Background: This article analyzes the post-surgical incidences and increased risk factors of Venous thromboembolism (VTE).
Incidence and Risk Factors for Major Hematomas in Aesthetic Surgery: Analysis of 129,007 Patients
By: Christodoulos Kaoutzanis, MD; Julian Winocour, MD; Varun Gupta, MD, MPH; Nishant Ganesh Kumar, BS; Konrad Sarosiek, MD; Blair Wormer, MD; Christopher Tokin, MD; James C. Grotting, MD, FACS; and K. Kye Higdon, MD, FACS
Background: Article finds hematomas to be the most common complication following an aesthetic procedure.
Incidence and Preoperative Risk Factors for Major Complications in Aesthetic Rhinoplasty: Analysis of 4978 Patients
By: John Layliev, MD, Varun Gupta, MD, MPH, Christodoulos Kaoutzanis, MD, Nishant Ganesh Kumar, BS, Julian Winocour, MD, James C. Grotting, MD, FACS, K. Kye Higdon, MD, FACS
Background: Rhinoplasty continues to be one of the most common aesthetic procedures performed today. This study found that certain risk factors such as age and combination procedures can increase the risk of a complication.
Cosmetic Liposuction: Preoperative Risk Factors, Major Complication Rates, and Safety of Combined Procedures
By: Christodoulos Kaoutzanis, MD; Varun Gupta, MD, MPH; Julian Winocour, MD; John Layliev, MD; Roberto Ramirez, MD; James C. Grotting, MD, FACS; and Kent Higdon, MD, FACS
Background: Liposuction performed alone is a safe procedure with a low risk of major complications. Combined procedures, especially on obese or older individuals, can significantly increase the rate of complications.
Aesthetic Breast Surgery and Concomitant Procedures: Incidence and Risk Factors for Major Complications in 73,608 Cases
By: Varun Gupta MD, MPH; Max Yeslev, MD, PhD; Julian Winocour, MD; Ravinder Bamba, MD; Charles Rodriguez-Feo, MD; Bruce Shack MD, FACS; James C. Grotting MD, FACS; Kent Higdon MD, FACS
Background: Aesthetic breast surgery represents the majority of cosmetic procedures performed in the US. This article examines the incidence and risk factors of major complications following breast surgery performed alone and in combination with other procedures.
Incidence and Risk Factors for Major Surgical Site Infections in Aesthetic Surgery: Analysis of 129,007 Patients
By: Christodoulos Kaoutzanis MD, Varun Gupta MD, MPH, Julian Winocour MD, Bruce Shack MD, FACS, James C. Grotting MD, FACS, Kent Higdon MD, FACS
Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) represent one of the most common postoperative complications in patients undergoing aesthetic surgery.
Is Office-Based Surgery Safe? Comparing Outcomes of 183,914 Aesthetic Surgical Procedures Across Different Types of Accredited Facilities
By: Varun Gupta, MD, MPH; Rikesh Parikh, MD; Lyly Nguyen, MD; Ashkan Afshari, MD; R. Bruce Shack, MD, FACS; James C. Grotting, MD, FACS; and K. Kye Higdon, MD, FACS
Background: There has been a dramatic rise in office-based surgery. However, due to wide variations in regulatory standards, the safety of office-based aesthetic surgery has been questioned.
Safety of Aesthetic Surgery in the Overweight Patient: Analysis of 127,961 Patients
By: Varun Gupta, MD, MPH; Julian Winocour, MD; Charles Rodriguez-Feo, MD; Ravinder Bamba, MD; R. Bruce Shack, MD; James C. Grotting, MD; and K. Kye Higdon, MD
Diabetes: What’s the Risk?
Evaluation of Diabetes Mellitus as a Risk Factor for Major Complications in Patients Undergoing Aesthetic Surgery
By Bamba R, Gupta V, Shack RB, Grotting JC, Higdon KK
Background: Diabetes mellitus has been linked with a variety of perioperative adverse events across surgical disciplines. There is a paucity of studies systematically examining risk factors, including diabetes, and complications of aesthetic surgical procedures. Read more
Abdominoplasty: Risk Factors, Complication Rates, and Safety of Combined Procedures
By Winocour, Julian M.D.; Gupta, Varun M.D.; Ramirez, J. Roberto M.D.; Shack, R. Bruce M.D.; Grotting, James C. M.D.; Higdon, K. Kye M.D.
Background: Among aesthetic surgery procedures, abdominoplasty is associated with a higher complication rate, but previous studies are limited by small sample sizes or single-institution experience. Read more
Letter from Kye Higdon, MD
Department of Plastic Surgery at Vanderbilt University
Published January 2016
Dear Surgeon,
CosmetAssure is committed to increasing patient safety by educating Board Certified Plastic Surgeons about the risks of complications associated with elective cosmetic procedures. As a result they have accumulated the largest database on complications following aesthetic surgery that has ever been collected. A five year statistical analysis was conducted by a dedicated team of surgeons at The Department of Plastic Surgery at Vanderbilt University.
Jan’16 ASJ Issue Highlight
Published on Nov 23, 2015
Drs. Julian Winocour, Varun Gupta, and Kent Higdon discuss their article: Preoperative Risk Factors and Complication Rates in Facelift: Analysis of 11,300 Patients, in the January- 2016 issue of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Their video is part of the Editor’s Choice: In Their Own Words feature of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Watch the video here and feel free to share, post, and tweet!
Risk Management in Cosmetic Surgery
Lessons from CosmetAssure Database
Published Fall 2015
By Varun Gupta, MD, MPH; R. Bruce Shack, MD, FACS;
James C Grotting, MD, FACS; & Kent “Kye” Higdon, MD, FACS
Every surgery carries the risk of a complication, and cosmetic plastic surgery is no different. The patient’s body mass index, age, whether she or he smokes, or the presence of comorbidities such as diabetes – can increase the risk of an adverse surgical event.
Read More