Surgeries feel the pinch

People are cutting back on cosmetic surgery and other elective surgeries in response to the dismal economy, reversing the booming popularity of tummy tucks, eye lifts, and breast implants, which have soared in popularity in recent years, particularly among younger people and the middle class.

When polled in October, 62 percent of members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons said their business was down 20 percent or more from the year before.

People may be shunning surgery not only because of the cost but because of the downtime for recovery.

"Now, you just even don't want to take the time off (from work)," says Alan Gold, president of the American Society of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons, a group of doctors who specialize in cosmetic surgery. "You don't want them to think they can get along without you for too long."