Reconstructive surgery is any surgical procedure performed to enhance the appearance of or correct the anatomical function of a bodily structure. The scope of reconstructive surgery is large, but it often includes correction of congenital birth defects and deformities related to traumatic events. However, patients with certain diseases or cancers often undergo reconstructive surgery in order to reclaim function of a specific area of the body.

The most common reconstructive surgery performed for the correction of congenital defects is that for cleft palate and cleft lip. Both of these conditions are developmental abnormalities that occur while in utero when either the soft tissue of the roof of the mouth, the palate or the upper lip does not develop normally. Although there is a cosmetic component to surgery for these types of congenital defects, both cleft palate and cleft lip can interfere with a child's ability to swallow and increases the risk of choking; reconstructive surgery of these conditions is typically more functional than cosmetic.

Reconstructive surgery is also a popular option for women who have been affected by breast cancer and subsequently undergone either singular or bilateral mastectomies. This type of reconstructive surgery is not for the benefit of functionality, but rather for the correction of physical appearance.

In other cases, unexpected trauma creates an immediate need for reconstructive surgery, such as when a patient is involved in a motor vehicle accident. Reconstructive surgery on this basis may be done to realign the jaw, restructure the face or correct deformities of the limbs. Trauma-associated reconstructive surgery is generally emergent and necessary on both a functional and cosmetic basis.