It’s no secret that the public’s demand for cosmetic surgery procedures around the world continues to expand rapidly. The vast majority of procedures such as breast augmentation and liposuction are still performed on women. However, one statistic has remained surprisingly small – and that is the number of female plastic surgeons working in this highly-specialized field.
According to the American Board of Plastic Surgery, 23% of all board-certified plastic surgeons are women, while the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reports that 12% of its members are women. The numbers are less favorable overseas. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) female board-certified plastic surgeons comprise just 10% of its global membership base. That’s a number that ISAPS President Dr. Renato Saltz is determined to grow.
“We recognize that while women are steadily streaming into other areas of medicine around the world, in many countries making up close to 50% of the classes in medical schools, the field of cosmetic surgery continues to be dominated by men,” says Dr. Saltz. “At ISAPS, we are lucky enough to include many notable female plastic surgeons among our members who have made ground-breaking contributions to our specialty. But having them as members isn’t enough – we also want to tap into their learning and insights to help grow the number of women who are attracted to our specialty, as well as to provide a mentoring and supporting structure for our women members.”
Dr. Saltz recently appointed New York plastic surgeon, Dr. Nina Naidu, to chair a new committee, ISAPS Women, to advocate for female plastic surgeons.
