Aesthetic surgery complications in private practice settings: Insights to optimize patient access and outcomes

Complications of aesthetic surgery performed in private practice pose significant risk to patients and resource burden to healthcare systems. Thorough understanding of this population is important to mitigate future complications. We evaluated demographic and complication patterns among patients presenting to our institution after aesthetic surgery, and the financial liability of their care on the hospital and payor.

This was a retrospective chart review of patients with complications related to aesthetic procedures from 2020-2023. Extracted data include biologic sex, age, smoking status, geographic location of original procedure, index surgical complications, timing of presentation, imaging, length of hospital admission, hospital charges, and insurance payments. Univariable analyses identified associations with outcomes.

A total 36 patients were included (mean age: 37.5 years). Patients were more likely to be Black (p = 0.04), Hispanic (p = 0.03), and on Medicaid (p < 0.001). Tobacco/cannabis use and obesity were prevalent in 25% and 47.2% of patients, respectively. Nearly half of patients had their procedures in Mexico (36.1%) and the Dominican Republic (11.4%). Patients using tobacco/cannabis were more likely to present with infection (p = 0.001) and undergo intervention (p = 0.01). The total median hospital charge was $43,324.96 (IQR $10,728.12, $80,803.18) and median insurance payment was $3947 (IQR $404.61, $24,516.00). In cases involving operative intervention, median hospital charge and insurance payments were $125,358.70 (IQR $51,065.52, $152,704.70) and $14,863.52 (IQR $3947, $49,031.13), respectively.

There is a disproportionate number of patients from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds who present with aesthetic complications and incur substantial costs, prompting the need for interventions that promote safe, equitable access to aesthetic procedures.