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

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.