General surgery is the branch of medicine that treats injuries, deformities and diseases using surgical procedures. It is usually done when a cure for the medical problem is not likely through medication alone.
General surgeons perform surgery on the abdominal organs (intestines, stomach, colon, liver, gallbladder and bile ducts), hernias, and the breast. They are sometimes referred to as the “jack of all trades” as they have the skill and training to handle different surgical problems.
GENERAL SURGERY
What Is General Surgery?
Despite its name, general surgery entails surgical procedures that focus on abdominal organs as well as diseases that involve the skin, breast, soft tissue and hernias. Basically, general surgery deals with surgery done in the torso.
The Scope that General Surgery Covers
In several countries, general surgery is often a pre-requisite for subspecialization in vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, cardiac surgery, plastic surgery and surgical critical care. It is a notably important specialization for surgeons, serving as the crucial foundational step that will help them to move forward in their respective areas of medical expertise. General surgery covers trauma surgery, laparoscopic surgery, colorectal surgery, breast surgery, vascular surgery, endocrine surgery and dermatological surgery. These sub-specialties remain as part of the general surgical training program, ensuring that general surgeons have a solid grasp of general surgical procedures before branching out to their chosen medical fields of specialization.
Common Surgical Procedures
- Abscess drainage
- Amputation
- Biopsies
- Hernia repair
- Appendectomy
- Colon surgery
- Liver surgery
- Pancreatic Surgery
- Biliary Surgery (bile duct, gallbladder)
- Stomach procedures
- Mastectomy (removal of the breast)
- Lumpectomy (removal of lumps in the breast)
- Hemmorhoids (Piles)
- Thyroid surgery
Symptoms of Breast disease
- lump
- pain
- nipple discharge
- rashes
- ulcer
- lump in the underarm
Symptoms of Head & Neck Tumours
- lump/s, include enlarged lymph nodes
- pain
- (persistent) mouth and tongue ulcer
- thyroid nodule
- enlarged salivary gland