Ideally, plastic surgery is intended for those people who have had severe burn injuries and need tissue replacement, or for those who have had an accident and scarred their faces. Plastic surgery helps in restoring and, at times, restructuring facial bones and skin, bringing mental peace to the patient.

History has many instances of reconstructive, or cosmetic, surgery. The Romans could repair ears. The great Indian surgeon Susrutha utilized skin grafting methods in 800 B.C. for nose reconstruction. The mid-15th century saw Heinrich von Pfolspeundt perform a nose job. The first cleft palate operation was performed by Dr. John Peter Mettauer with instruments of his own design.

Procedures like flap surgery and microsurgical transfer of tissue improved rapidly after the World War I. Reconnecting blood vessels with transferred tissue has been around for many decades now. Breast reconstruction, sex reassignment surgery, foreskin restoration and mucosa defects are some examples of reconstructive surgery.

Before going in for plastic surgery, one needs to find out all the details about the doctor in question. He should be a certified doctor with the requisite qualifications for carrying out the surgery. He must have hospital privileges, as post-operative care is very important. All details of cost and related expenses should be made clear upfront. Ensure that the doctor has successfully performed this procedure before. Get feedback, if possible, from other patients.

Get the doctor to explain the technique and procedure to be used. Determine whether anesthesia will be administered locally or generally. Talk to the anesthetist if it is to be general anesthesia. Ensure that where the operation will be performed is affiliated with a hospital licensed by the state or, at the very least, accredited.

Then find out what will be the procedure if something goes wrong and if there could be irreversible damage. Determine what medication will be used and for how long. How soon will you be able to get back to normal living? Only after you have satisfied yourself with all the answers and are sure that this is what you have to do, should you then undergo surgery.