Dr. Robert Graper Becomes First Charlotte Plastic Surgeon to Offer BuildMyBod Smartphone App

(Charlotte, NC) - Robert Graper, MD, has announced his participation in BuildMyBodTM, a smartphone app that allows consumers to find a cosmetic surgeon, plan and price cosmetic surgery procedures, and make an appointment directly through the application. Dr. Graper is the first plastic surgeon in the Carolinas to offer this service.

Consumers can download the free app at the iPhone App Store - search keyword, "buildmybod." The app allows consumers to search for cosmetic surgeons by zip code and review different procedures by gender with pricing information that includes the total costs - doctors' fees, operating room costs, anesthesia costs, implants, etc.

The BuildMyBod app, which works on iPhones, iPads and the iPod Touch, has been approved and is now available through the iPhone App Store. A version for phones that use the AndroidTM operating system will soon be available.

"Bringing information about my practice and procedures with such detail, literally at the fingertips of consumers, is an exciting addition to the way we educate our patients," says Dr. Graper. "The more informed patients are, the better decisions they ultimately make about the cosmetic surgery procedures that are right for them."

The app was developed last year by Jonathan Kaplan, MD, a Baton Rouge cosmetic surgeon, who devised the BuildMyBod app to help build his own practice but decided to include a database of thousands of cosmetic surgeons across the country. According to Kaplan, "Consumers want information to make better buying decisions, especially about cosmetic surgery. As the dramatic growth in the development of apps for the iPhone shows, people want the convenience of having information they can use to make important decisions on their phones. It seemed logical that being able to research cosmetic surgeons and procedures that way would be of real value to consumers … and to surgeons, too."

About Cosmetic Surgery

Over 13 million cosmetic surgical procedures were performed in the United States in 2010, up 5 percent from 2009, according to statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Overall, the number of cosmetic procedures has increased 147 percent since the tracking of such statistics first began in 1997, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. The most popular surgical procedure was breast augmentation, according to the ASPS, and the most frequently performed nonsurgical procedures were injections of Botulinum Toxin Type A (including Botox and Dysport). In addition to women, men are increasingly going under the knife. Facelifts for men were up 14 percent compared with the previous year, the ASPS reports, although rhinoplasty (nose job) remains the most popular procedure for men.

Widely recognized as a leading Charlotte plastic surgery provider, Dr. Graper offers the full spectrum of cosmetic surgery procedures for both men and women. He has years of experience helping Charlotte rhinoplasty, facelift, liposuction, breast surgery and tummy tuck Charlotte patients enhance and accentuate their natural beauty.

Graper Cosmetic Surgery can be reached at (704) 375-7111.