The majority of the population associates the term plastic surgery with purely cosmetic procedures, for which you do not need a referral, however, plastic surgeons perform a wide range of procedures that may be cosmetic but are also commonly corrective or reconstructive. It is possible that you may be referred to a plastic surgeon by a primary care physician if you require a surgical procedure to repair an abnormality or correct a physical deformity that may have existed from birth, developed due to cancerous tissue removal, or from sustaining a significant injury such as a serious burn. Some abnormalities that exist at the time of birth that often require reparation from a plastic surgeon include webbed fingers, a cleft lip, or a cleft palate. When patients have a significant amount of tissue removed due to it being cancerous or dangerous to keep in the body, a visible deformity can be left behind in areas like the face or breasts, which can be reconstructed by a plastic surgeon.