Disease and Economic Burden of Plastic Surgery-Related Diseases in the United Kingdom.

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the burden and economic impact of disease associated with plastic and reconstructive surgery in the United Kingdom. We calculated a value per statistical life year of £60,000 per person in the United Kingdom ($75,510 in U.S. dollars). We found that in 2019, the estimated age-standardized incident rates, age-standardized death rates, and age-standardized disability-adjusted life years of plastic surgery-related conditions were 361.47 per 100,000, 19.5 per 100,000 and 551.0 per 100,000, respectively. Burn emerged as the leading contributor to the overall disease burden, accounting for 32%, followed by decubitus ulcer (21%) and breast cancer (17%). The economic burden of plastic surgery-related diseases in the United Kingdom amounted to £34.3 billion (43.2 billion in U.S. dollars) in 2019, exhibiting a steady increase from £19.6 billion (24.7 billion in U.S. dollars) in 1990. Plastic and reconstructive surgery-related diseases, primarily breast cancer, thermal burns, and malignant melanoma, impose a substantial burden on the U.K. health care system. These findings hold significant implications for national health care policy, funding allocation, and research prioritization.