University of Michigan Department of Plastic Surgery - Reconstructive Surgery Reconstructive Surgery differs from Cosmetic Surgery in that the desired goal is to reconstruct an abnormal area of the body brought on by congenital or developmental deformities. Such examples of congenital deformities include deformities of the cleft lip and palate, syndactyly, otherwise known as webbed fingers, and hemangiomas.
Developmental deformities encompass abnormalities brought on by trauma, injury, or disease.
Examples of such deformities include burn injuries, skin tumors, lacerations, and breast reconstruction following breast cancer. Skin grafting is a common technique performed to restore an affected area of skin. By using a skin graft, which is essentially a section of healthy skin taken from another area of the body, this healthy skin can be used as a replacement for the insufficient or impaired skin. Skin grafts are commonly used on large open wounds or skin that has been damaged due to a burn injury. Tissue expansion is another technique used for reconstruction.