Plastic surgery has two branches, cosmetic surgery and reconstructive plastic surgery. Cosmetic surgery aims to improve the aesthetic appearance of a person, while plastic surgery may include this, or just the reconstruction (reconstructive surgery). Reconstructive plastic surgery aims to improve function; however, it may also involve trying to approximate normal appearance, but that is not its primary function. Reconstructive plastic surgery is often referred as simply reconstructive surgery.
Some parts of the world completely separate cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery and term cosmetic surgery as elective surgery, non-essential surgery, surgery which the patient chooses to have; while plastic surgery is understood to mean surgery to reconstruct or improve appearance after injury or illness.
This article focuses on cosmetic surgery only.
According to official statistics, approximately 65,000 surgical cosmetic procedures were performed in 2008 in the UK - 50% more than in 2003. Breast enlargement was the most popular procedure, followed by rhinoplasty (nose job, nose reshaping), liposuction, and face-lifts. Cosmetic surgery in the USA is far more popular: