People often think the term “plastic surgery” somehow means something artificial, as they assume it must have evolved from the term for the manmade synthetic polymer that Americans know as plastic. The term actually is completely different, with its basis in Greek language. It derives from the term “plastikos,” which means to mold or shape something. The actual term “plastic surgery” was first coined in 1818 by German surgeon Carl Ferdinand von Graefe. He used it to describe the process where doctors molded or reshaped body tissues. In those days, these were typically nose surgeries.