[Indications for plastic surgery (author's transl)]

The paper deals with the three main areas of indications for plastic surgery: 1. Reconstructive plastic surgery or treatment of defects resulting from trauma or disease. 2. Constructive plastic surgery or treatment of innate defects. 3. Anaplastic surgery or treatment of disfunction of appearance. By defining these different branches of plastic surgery criteria are elaborated that govern all plastic surgery. Differences between the general surgical approach and the plastic surgical approach are explained and emphasis is put on the patients' subjective situation and possible pressures from outside as well as environmental influences that may have bearing on the indication.