More People Over 65 Are Going Under the Knife: 'The Only Time I Go to the Doctor is For Plastic Surgery'

Last month, an 83-year old Orange County woman underwent breast augmentation surgery -- making her one of an increasing number of seniors who are opting for cosmetic procedures in their golden years.

Marie Kolstad, a widow, is a full-time property manager with 12 children and 13 great grandchildren. While her appearance is certainly not the first priority in her life, she saw an opportunity for improvement, and went for it.

"Physically, I'm in good health, and I just feel like, why not take advantage of it?" Mrs. Kolstad told The New York Times. "My mother lived a long time, and I'm just taking it for granted that that will happen to me. And I want my children to be proud of what I look like."

Like many other people her age, Mrs. Kolstad wanted to close the gap between how she felt and how she looked. At 83, she said, "your breasts go in one direction and your brain goes in another."

Gilbert Meyer, a retired 75-plus producer, spent $8,000 (the same amount Mrs. Kolstad paid to her surgeon) on a face and neck lift in Boca Raton, Fla.

"I was looking at myself in the mirror and didn't like what I was starting to see and did something about it," Mr. Meyer told the New York Times. "Why not look as good as you can when you can?"

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, in 2010 there were 84,685 surgical procedures among patients age 65 and older. There are a number of reasons why someone in their twilight years might choose to go under the knife: Some are looking for a late-life partner and want to be at their best; others are still in the job market and want to appear more youthful. While others, like Mrs. Kolstad and Mr. Meyer, want their external appearance to better mirror their health and vitality, which they expect to continue for many years in the future.

Dr. Daniel Man, a plastic surgeon in Boca Raton, Fla., told the New York Times he is taking an increasing number of patients over 70. "These people are healthy and want to be an active part of society," he said.

Some have raised concerns that older patients might be at increased risk for life-threatening complications, and there is a relative dearth of research that focuses on cosmetic surgery and older patients. One study at the Cleveland Clinic found no significant difference in the instances of minor or major complications due to surgeries between one group with an average age 57.6. and another with an average age of 70.

"Is there a theoretical age upon which complications do become more likely?" Dr. James E. Zins, the senior author of the study, told the New York Times. "Does that mean that patients 70 and 75 years and over can safely undergo a face-lift with the same complication rate as young patients? We didn't have enough numbers to answer that question."

Whatever the risks may or may not be, some older patients simply trust in their own good health.

Mary Graham, a 77-year-old restaurant owner in Thomasville, Ga., had a facelift and breast implants earlier this year. "I work seven days a week," she told the New York Times. "I wanted to look as young as I feel."

"The only time I go to the doctor is for plastic surgery," she said.