(KFF Health News) – Cosmetic surgery chains across the country are attracting patients by promising “minimally invasive” operations to reshape their bodies or get rid of stubborn fat — even helping arrange outside financing for people who can’t pay up front. Hundreds of thousands of patients are undergoing such procedures each year, and plastic surgeons can make more than $500,000 each year in one of the highest-paid specialties in American medicine.

An investigation by KFF Health News found that lawsuits filed by injured patients have trailed the industry’s growth, in some cases alleging that surgeons lacked adequate training, had histories of malpractice lawsuits, or had faced disciplinary action by state medical licensing boards — yet crossed into another state and kept practicing. (Read More)