Overview
Aesthetic surgery is paid mostly by patients, but little is known about how prices vary by region. The authors analyzed advertised prices for 6 common aesthetic procedures in 100 US metropolitan areas. They related state-level prices to per capita income and gross domestic product, and adjusted prices for regional cost of living to estimate the real cost to patients.
Findings
- 600 city-procedure price observations from 100 metropolitan areas.
- Mean advertised prices ranged from USD 6234 for liposuction to USD 14,639 for facelift.
- Facelift prices varied the most (coefficient of variation 38.8%).
- Across 33 states, per capita personal income was linked to procedure prices (r = 0.529, P = .0016).
- After cost-of-living adjustment, New York remained the most expensive state; Michigan and Kentucky ranked second and third in real cost, ahead of California.
- One average procedure took nearly 20% of annual per capita income in Kentucky, compared with about 10% to 11% in higher-income states.
- Level of evidence: 5.
What it means for a patient
- Facelift prices vary more than other common aesthetic procedures across US cities.
- Prices tend to be higher in higher-income states, but after cost of living is counted, the real burden is often greater in lower-income states.
- Limits: advertised prices, which may differ from what patients pay; 33 states in the state-level analysis; no link to quality or results.
Why this paper matters
It measures regional variation in aesthetic surgery prices, including the facelift, and shows that regional wealth and purchasing power shape access in this patient-funded market.
Terms
- Advertised price: the price listed publicly by a practice.
- Coefficient of variation (CV): the spread of prices relative to their average; higher means more variation.
- Per capita personal income: average income per person in a state.
- Gross domestic product (GDP): the total value of goods and services produced in an area.
- Regional Price Parities (RPP): an index of cost-of-living differences between regions.
- Correlation coefficient (r): a number from -1 to 1 showing how closely two measures move together.