As a child I thought they were grafting plastic onto people or something.
Plastic surgery includes both the reconstructive and aesthetic subspecialties.
The oldest plastic surgery probably involved nasal reconstruction. Cecil's Mailbag is researched and written by members of the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board, Cecil's online auxiliary. Inc. All rights reserved. No material contained in this site may be republished or reposted without express written permission. The Straight Dope is a registered trademark of Chicago Reader, Inc.