New York
,NY -This year
marks the 37th Anniversary of the America Society for Aesthetic Plastic
Surgery (ASAPS), the leading organization of board-certified plastic
surgeons who specialize in cosmetic surgery of the face and body. ASAPS
was the first, and remains the only organization in the United States,
entirely focused on advancing the subspeciality of cosmetic plastic
surgery.
"Back in the 1960s,when the
major focus of plastic surgery was on reconstructive operations, ASAPS'
founders had to change and foresight to say, 'Cosmetic surgery is valuable
to peoples' lives,'" says former ASAPS President Malcolm Paul, MD, of
Newport Beach, CA. "Without ASAPS, cosmetic surgery would have remained 'in
the closet' for many more years."
At the beginning of the
20th Century, aesthetic (cosmetic)
surgery was being
performed in total secrecy, primarily in Europe. In the United States, New
York City became the center of cosmetic surgery development, which occurred
mostly "behind closed doors" well into the 1950s.In 1967, ASAPS' founders,
Simon Fredricks, MD, and John Lewis, MD, developed their plan for a
professional society that would be wholly dedicated to the advancement of
cosmetic surgery among qualified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
certified doctors. Soon after, the Society was chartered under the name the
Society of Aesthetic Surgeons. There were 28 founding members, among them
the recognized pioneers of cosmetic surgery in the U.S. The first Scientific
Meeting of the new Society was not until 1969 in Miami and was attended by
about 100 members and guests. At the meeting, the name was changed to the
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. The reason for the change
was to emphasize that the members of this new cosmetic surgery society were
board-certified plastic surgeons. "There was already some concern that this
relatively new field, which was largely built upon the foundation laid by
reconstructive plastic surgery, might hold attraction for physicians who did
not have the same depth of training as legitimate plastic surgeons," says
Dr. Paul.
The concept
of a separate
organization devoted to cosmetic surgery was a new one. It took some time
for ASAPS to achieve full recognition within the medical community. However,
by 1974,the American Medical Association's Accreditation Council for
Continuing Medical Education had granted accreditation for ASAPS physician
education programs in cosmetic surgery. Over the years, ASAPS was successful
in establishing a relationship with the American Board of Plastic Surgery,
and the American College of Surgeons granted ASAPS a Governor's seat.
The membership of ASAPS
grew at a steady pace, but the membership process was, as it remains today,
extremely selective. ASAPS membership was attainable only through election
of applicants by then-current ASAPS members, and the Society gained the
reputation as an elite group of the most well established cosmetic plastic
surgeons.
As the educational mission
of ASAPS became further defined, and more plastic surgeons gained the
necessary experience in cosmetic surgery to qualify for membership, the
number of members grew. Today, ASAPS has over 2000 members; about
one-quarter of all board-certified plastic surgeons have ever qualified for
this special recognition. "It has never been ASAPS' goal to be the largest
plastic surgery organization, only the most prestigious and the one focused
exclusively on the cosmetic aspect of our speciality," says Dr. Paul.
In 2004,ASAPS'influence in
the field of cosmetic plastic surgery is unparalleled. The Society published
the world's most widely read, peer-reviewed clinical cosmetic surgery
journal, Aesthetic Surgery Journal. It is responsible for the Cosmetic
Surgery Statistics National Databank, providing current information on the
number and types of cosmetic procedures performed annually in the U.S.
ASAPS' Annual Meeting
draws cosmetic
plastic surgeons from around the globe for its acclaimed scientific program,
instructional courses and special symposia. ASAPS also co-sponsors a variety
of cosmetic surgery educational symposia throughout the year in various
location around the country.
ASAPS maintains a web
site,with information on cosmetic surgery for the public, at www.surgery.org.
It provides patient referrals to its member surgeons through the
Find-a-Surgeon locator on its web site or its toll-free referral
service,1-888-ASAPS-11 (272-77-11).
This text was designed by ASAPS. Reprint
permission of its media office.
The actual President of ASAPS
Peter Bela Fodor,MD
President of ASAPS
2080 Century Park
east,Suite 710
Los Angeles,CA 90067,USA
Phone:++1 310 203 9818
e-mail:
pbfodor@aol.com
