In a recent study that looked at about 25,000 people who had abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck surgery, between 2008 and 2013, researchers found that 4 percent of the people suffered major post-surgery complications, which is higher than the average rate of 1.4 percent for other cosmetic surgery procedures. According to statistics by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in the United States, abdominoplasty is the 6^th most common cosmetic surgery.

The prevalence of cosmetic surgery is higher in the United States than any other country. About 14 million people in the country get cosmetic surgery every year, or 40 out of every 1,000 people. In the UK, a 2012 study found that facelifts, breast surgery, nose reductions, eyelid operations, and weight-loss procedures accounted for 80 percent of the increasing number of legal actions against cosmetic surgeons. In 2000, the total amount spent on medical malpractice insurance was $6.4 billion.