A plastic surgeon can do cosmetic surgery, but they aren't cosmetic surgeons: their specialty covers many less-well-known but far more important treatments. A

A plastic surgeon can do cosmetic surgery, but they aren't cosmetic surgeons: their specialty covers many less-well-known but far more important treatments. A plastic surgeon specialises in repairing or reconstructing damaged body parts: in this case, the treatment is clearly reconstructive surgery on the patient's ear in the hospital. The patient was weighing the cost of that surgery against living with a damaged ear… Plastic surgeons also do cosmetic alterations of body parts, such as removing moles, etc. Some platic surgeons work privately to only do these kinds of procedures for celebrities etc., so you may be more familiar with this minority & their work rather than their primary specialty.