When to see a plastic surgeon
Common reasons people book a consultation.
- Burns, scars or wounds needing reconstruction
- Cleft lip or palate
- Hand injury or nerve repair
- Reconstruction after cancer surgery
- An elective cosmetic procedure you want assessed first
What a plastic surgeon does
A plastic surgeon restores and reshapes the body's form and function. The word plastic comes from the Greek for moulding, not from the material. In India the usual route is an MBBS, MS General Surgery or DNB, and then a super-speciality degree, most often MCh Plastic Surgery or DrNB Plastic Surgery. Training covers both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.
Reconstructive work is the larger part of the speciality: treating burns and their scars, repairing injuries to the face and hands, reattaching nerves and tendons, correcting cleft lip and palate, and rebuilding the breast or face after cancer surgery. It often uses skin grafts and flaps, where tissue is moved from one part of the body to another, sometimes with microsurgery to join tiny blood vessels. Cosmetic surgery aims to change appearance by choice, for example the nose, eyelids, breasts or body contour.
Reconstructive surgery is often done in hospital teams alongside cancer, trauma and burns specialists, and may be covered by insurance. Cosmetic surgery is usually not. Many different practitioners offer cosmetic procedures, so it is worth checking a surgeon's qualifications and registration, asking where the procedure will be done, and taking time to understand the expected result, the recovery and the risks before agreeing.
- Serious burns, burns to the face, hands or genitals, or burns in a child or older adult: cool with running water and call 108
- A severed finger or limb: keep the part cool in a clean covered bag, without placing it directly on ice, and go to hospital at once
- A deep cut with numbness or inability to move a finger, which may mean a cut nerve or tendon
- Spreading redness, fever or severe swelling after any cosmetic or reconstructive procedure
Conditions plastic surgeons treat
Burns and burn scars
Acute burn care, skin grafting, and later release of tight scars that limit movement.
Cleft lip and palate
Surgery in infancy and childhood to repair the lip and palate and support speech and feeding.
Hand injuries and conditions
Tendon, nerve and bone injuries of the hand, and conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Facial injuries
Repair of cuts and fractures of the face and jaw.
Reconstruction after cancer surgery
Rebuilding the breast, head and neck, or other areas after a tumour is removed.
Chronic wounds and pressure sores
Wounds that will not heal, closed with grafts or flaps once infection is controlled.
Congenital differences
Conditions present from birth, such as ear or hand differences.
Scars and keloids
Revision of prominent or tight scars.
Cosmetic concerns
Elective procedures on the face, breast or body, after careful discussion of expectations and risks.
Tests and procedures you may come across
Clinical assessment and photographs
Careful examination and photographs to plan surgery and record the starting point.
Blood tests before surgery
Checks on blood count, sugar and clotting.
Imaging
X-rays or CT scans for facial and hand fractures, and scans to plan some reconstructions.
Skin grafts
Thin layers of skin taken from one area to cover a wound or burn elsewhere.
Flap surgery
Moving tissue with its own blood supply to cover a larger or deeper defect.
Microsurgery
Joining tiny blood vessels and nerves under a microscope, for replantation and complex reconstruction.
Scar revision
Procedures to make a scar flatter, narrower or less tight.
Cosmetic procedures
Operations such as rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery or liposuction, chosen for appearance.
Plastic surgeon or another specialist?
The nearest neighbouring specialities, and when each is the right door.
Before your first visit
- Bring reports and photographs of the injury, burn or earlier surgery, and letters from the referring doctor.
- Bring a list of medicines, and mention smoking, diabetes and blood thinners, which affect wound healing and surgical risk.
- For cosmetic surgery, think clearly about what you want to change and why, and ask what result is realistic.
- Ask where the operation will be done, who will give the anaesthetic, how long recovery usually takes, and what happens if the result is not as expected.
- Expect photographs to be taken; they are part of your medical record.
Qualifications and registration to check
Registered with the National Medical Commission or a state medical council. The number can be searched on the NMC's Indian Medical Register. Every profile on The Doctor Index shows the registration number and says whether it has been checked against the register.
Degrees you will see on plastic surgeons' profilesHow to check a registrationQuestions about seeing a plastic surgeon
Is plastic surgery only cosmetic?
No. Much of plastic surgery is reconstructive: treating burns, hand injuries, cleft lip and palate, and rebuilding after cancer surgery. Cosmetic surgery is one part of the speciality.
What qualifications should a plastic surgeon have?
An MBBS, MS General Surgery or DNB, and then a super-speciality degree, usually MCh Plastic Surgery or DrNB Plastic Surgery. Registration can be checked with the NMC or a state medical council.
Is reconstructive surgery covered by insurance?
Reconstruction after injury, burns or cancer is often covered, depending on the policy. Purely cosmetic surgery usually is not. Check with your insurer before surgery.
Can scars be removed completely?
No scar can be removed entirely. A plastic surgeon can often make a scar less noticeable, flatter or less tight.
How do I choose a cosmetic surgeon?
Check the surgeon's qualifications and registration, ask how often they perform the procedure you want, where it will be done, and what the risks and recovery involve. Do not feel rushed into a decision.
Also searched as: cosmetic surgeon, aesthetic surgeon, hair transplant, burns.
Written by The Doctor Index on 27 Sep 2026, and has not yet been reviewed by a clinician. General information, not advice about your own situation.