Our newest infographic features some pretty shocking facts about our plastic surgery obsession. For example, teenage plastic surgery is on the rise. There were 14,000 procedures performed on teens in 1996, compared to 77,000 in 2011.
Super interesting on many levels, especially regarding the cost of these procedures. For example, an appendectomy at an outpatient surgical center costs $47,000 and takes 45 minutes or so to do by a general surgeon. The cost of a facelift, done by a highly skilled plastic surgeon, can take hours.
This is what happens when competition and paying for something with your own money, not an insurance company’s money, infiltrates healthcare. Costs decrease significantly and they mimic the actual cost of a procedure, not some arbitrary, highly inflated number.
