Division of Plastic Surgery

About Plastic Surgery

Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Overview

What is reconstructive plastic surgery?

Reconstructive surgery is performed to correct facial and body abnormalities caused by birth defects, trauma, disease, or aging.

More than one million reconstructive surgeries are performed each year in the US. Usually, the goal of reconstructive surgery is to improve body function. However, reconstructive surgery may also be performed to create a more normal appearance and improve self-esteem (this may also be called cosmetic surgery). Abnormal structures of the body may be caused by:

trauma
infection
developmental abnormalities
congenital defects
disease
tumors

Who are candidates for reconstructive surgery?

Generally, two types of patients have reconstructive surgery:

patients with birth defects (such as cleft-lip, craniofacial anomalies, hand deformities, or other)
patients with developmental deformities (due to an accident, infection, disease, aging, or other)

What are the possible complications associated with reconstructive surgery?
Any type of surgery carries some risk. Patients differ in their anatomy and their ability to heal. Some complications from surgery may include:

infection
excessive bleeding
bruising
difficulty in wound healing
anesthesia problems
surgery problems

Risk of complications may increase if a patient:

smokes
has connective-tissue damage
has skin damage from radiation therapy
has decreased circulation at the surgery site
has HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
has an impaired immune system
has poor nutritional habits

How to prepare for reconstructive surgery:

The type of surgery will be determined by your physician(s) based on the following:

age, overall health and medical history of the patient
extent of deformity
tolerance of specific medications, procedures, or therapies
expectations for the course of the disorder or deformity
opinion or preference

Reconstructive surgery may require multiple procedures done in several stages.

There are a number of areas in plastic surgery that may be either or both reconstructive or cosmetic, depending on a patient's situation. For example, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) may be a procedure performed for cosmetic improvement, as well as to correct eyelids that are drooping severely and obscuring vision.

This page was last updated on: September 20, 2007.

For more information about UM Division of Plastic Surgery or to make an appointment, please call 1-800-492-5538 or 410-328-2360 (patients) or 1-800-373-4111 (physicians).