UK cosmetic surgery operations top 50,000 for first time

The figures confirmed that more and more Britons are turning to cosmetic surgery to improve their appearance.

14:07 03 February 2014

2013 saw the highest number of cosmetic surgery procedures performed in Great Britain. 

 

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons confirmed that there were 50,122 procedures done in the country last year, proving that more and more Britons now turn to cosmetic surgery in order to improve their appearance. This is a 17per cent higher compared to the same data gathered in 2012. 

 

11,135 of these procedures are breast enlargement surgeries, which remains the most popular operation in the field. This is followed by anti-ageing treatments and blepharosplasty (eyelid surgery). There were also 6,380 face or neck lifts. 

 

BAAPS president Rajiv Grover said confidence in cosmetic surgery had returned "with Britons choosing to spend on procedures with proven track records, such as liposuction".

 

He added: "Whether it is breast augmentation or anti-ageing procedures like facelifting, the public are choosing tried and tested surgical methods rather than the magical-sounding quick fixes that fail to deliver results."

 

However, patient dissatisfaction is growing alongside rising demand, warned Sally Taber, chair of Independent Healthcare Advisory Services. She said: "It is important to measure patient satisfaction rates as well as numbers of operations carried out.

 

"While it may be that the majority of procedures were wholly satisfactory, the Independent Sector Complaints Adjudication Service (ISCAS), the body responsible for adjudicating on complaints in the independent healthcare sector, has seen an increase in complaints from patients who have undergone cosmetic surgery during the same period. This needs further attention."