How did plastic surgery get its name?
The word ‘plastic’ in plastic surgery goes back to the root of the word. It is ultimately from the Greek ‘plastikos’ meaning ‘mould’, in the sense of shaping something. So plastic surgery is what is also known as ‘re-constructive surgery’, the process of changing the shape of an injury to re-instate the body part to its original form or to minimize the appearance of things like birth defects. When it is done for purely esthetic/elective reasons, it is now usually called ‘cosmetic surgery’. I hope this answers your question.
