plastic surgery
a branch of surgery that specializes in the restoration, reconstruction, and repair of damaged or diseased tissue to improve the form or function of a body structure or area. Plastic surgery is commonly used in reconstruction of the female breast (e.g., after surgical removal for cancer), facial features (e.g., the nose, a cleft lip or palate), and genital features (e.g., the vagina or penis in sex-reversal surgery). See also cosmetic surgery; postreconstructive surgery; reconstructive surgery.