Plastic (derived from the Greek word "plastikos" which means "to mold or shape") surgery is the surgical specialty that deals with the reconstruction of facial and body tissue that requires a reshaping or remolding due to disease, a defect, or disorder. This surgery is conducted in order to approximate a normal appearance or to repair working ability.

Different in function from reconstructive plastic surgery, cosmetic (aesthetic) plastic surgery, is performed to repair or reshape otherwise normal structures of the body, primarily to improve the patient's appearance and self-esteem.