The demand for plastic surgery is steadily growing in South Africa. With easily accessible information regarding various plastic surgical procedures through social media, podcasts, web pages and virtual consultations, there is roughly a 10% increase of plastic surgery procedures every year. Even though reconstructive surgery is a major part of plastic surgery procedures, there has been a significant increase in aesthetic procedures. ISAPS, the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, published a 2023 survey, revealing that South Africans underwent 85869 aesthetic procedures of which 37383 accounted for surgical procedures.
The rise of aesthetic surgical procedures, often referred to as non-essential surgery, created the demand for surgical facilities, other than conventional hospitals, where patients can safely undergo their procedures. Day Hospitals or day clinics have become very popular service centres to undergo aesthetic surgeries, with the benefit of being more cost effective and being able to create a more personalized experience for patients.
Various aesthetic surgeries can be performed as day surgical cases due to advanced anaesthetic techniques for example TIVA (Total Intravenous Anaesthesia) or TCA (Target controlled anaesthesia) and the adjunct safe use of local anaesthesia, leading to a more rapid post-operative recovery and fewer side effects. The five commonest aesthetic surgeries performed in South Africa in 2023 was upper eyelid surgery, breast augmentation, breast reduction, liposuction and fat grafting which all can be safely performed in a day hospital setting.
Except for large body contouring procedures like tummy tucks, large volume liposuction and body contouring after massive weight-loss, most plastic surgeons perform their aesthetic surgeries in day hospitals. In my own experience, we often perform aesthetic breast surgeries at the day hospital and have our patients back at home before dinner, to recover safely and comfortably in their own home.
To ensure that patients are safely undergoing aesthetic surgery in a day hospital, I recommend consulting a specialist plastic surgeon being a member of APRASSA (Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons of South Africa) and have the procedure performed in a registered and accredited day hospital i.e. Cure Day Hospitals.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Procedures at Cure Day Hospitals
