Pediatric plastic surgery is plastic surgery performed on children. Its procedures are most often conducted for reconstructive or cosmetic purposes. In children, this line is often blurred, as many congenital deformities impair physical function as well as aesthetics. Surgery is defined as treating injuries or conditions with operative instrumental treatment. Plastic is a derivative of the Greek word plastikos, which means "to build up" or "to take form". This is a logical prefix, as parts of the body are remade or reformed during most reconstructive and cosmetic surgical procedures. Children make up roughly 3% of all plastic surgery procedures, and the majority of these procedures correct a congenital deformity. Reconstructive plastic surgery is performed on abnormal structures of the body that are the result of congenital defects, developmental abnormalities, trauma, infection, tumors or disease. While reconstructive surgery is most often undertaken to regain normal motor function or prevent current or future health problems, aesthetics is also considered by the surgical team. Cosmetic plastic surgery is defined as a surgical procedure undertaken to improve the physical appearance and self-esteem of a patient. These procedures are usually elective. Reconstructive plastic surgery Several of the most common congenital birth defects can be treated by a plastic surgeon operating as an individual, or as a part of a multi-disciplinary team. The most common pediatric birth defects requiring plastic surgeon involvement include: Cleft lip and/or palate - Babies born with the defect will have opening in the vicinity of the upper lip. The size of the opening reaches anywhere from a small notch to near towards the base of the nostril, in which it would either involve one or both sides of the lip. Worldwide, clefts are estimated to affect 1 in every 700-1000 live births. Roughly 25% of cleft lip and palate cases are inherited from parents, with the other 75% believed to be the cause of a combination of lifestyle and chance factors. Syndactyly / Polydactyly – The most common of congenital malformations affecting limbs. It is believed that Syndactyly, exhibits in variation, in which digits can be fused either partially or across its entire length, or as simple as only being connected superficially by skin. It affects 1 in every 2,000 – 3,000 live births. Polydactyly is the presence of extra fingers or toes at birth, and is believed to affect somewhere around 2 out of every 1,000 live births. However, it