Patient about to undergo cosmetic surgery by doctor

Do you regret having cosmetic surgery?

Many people regret having had cosmetic surgery, either because the outcome does not match the hoped-for image or because of complications. Research by Medical Accident Group found that  65% of people they polled regretted their surgery, though 28% were very happy with its results.

According to the poll, 83% of people who had had plastic surgery wouldn’t consider having any form of cosmetic procedure again. 2,638 people aged 18 and over, from around the UK, all of whom admitted to having had cosmetic surgery within the past five years, were quizzed about the procedure(s) they’d had done and how they felt about the results.

All were initially asked about the type of surgery they had had to which the most common answers were ‘breast augmentation’ (31%) and ‘rhinoplasty’ (27%). Alongside this, the most popular cosmetic procedures included ‘liposuction’ (24%), and ‘eyelid surgery’ (16%).

All were then asked: ‘How do you feel following your surgery?’ to which almost two thirds, 65%, stated that they ‘regret having cosmetic surgery’, whilst 28% said they ‘couldn’t be happier with the results’.

We asked why they regretted their decision; when asked to select all that applied from a list of possible reasons the top five choices were:

  • The results didn’t match the image of how I thought I’d look – 33%
  • Encountered complications – 24%
  • Don’t feel the side-effects were fully explained –17%
  • Feel less confident/comfortable now than before the surgery – 13%
  • Regret spending the money and/or am now in debt as a result – 8%

Only one third of respondents, 32%, admitted to having undertaken extensive research into the procedure they were going to have before the surgery took place, with the remaining respondents stating they ‘relied fully on the advice/knowledge of the cosmetic surgeon’ (59%) or ‘relied on others who had already had the operation themselves’ (9%).

Ally Taft, partner at Medical Accident Group, said: “It’s interesting to see that the majority regret having undergone cosmetic surgery because they weren’t happy with the results. It is always a worry with cosmetic surgery that the image you have in your head doesn’t match the image the surgeon has in their head, or even that something could go wrong and that the surgeon would have to change your surgery to deal with any complications that arise.

“We understand that some people feel that cosmetic surgery could change their life and give them the confidence they’re perhaps lacking, but we hope the results of this study show that, just because you’re not happy with your body now, doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily be happy with it once you pay a lot of money to get it changed.

“There are many risks associated with what are often major operations and, unfortunately, we see the ones that go wrong. It is important that people consider whether to go through with a procedure very carefully and carry out thorough research into their surgeon or clinic.”

Have you had surgery that went wrong, or left you long term problems?

If so, Medical Accident Group can help. We have a team of dedicated clinical negligence solicitors with experience in handling cases involving cosmetic surgery. If you believe you have a case, call the team now on 0800 050 1668 or fill in the form below.

You can see an updated version of this article here.

Patient about to undergo cosmetic surgery by doctor Patient about to undergo cosmetic surgery by doctor

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Meet the Team

Ally Taft, Head of Clinical Negligence

Starting out as a physiotherapist, Ally embarked on her legal training knowing that she wanted to specialise in clinical negligence from the outset. Now a partner for Medical Accident Group, her experience and medical understanding have stood her and her clients in good stead, combined, as they are, with her determination to seek justice for clients whose lives have been devastated by clinical negligence.

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