General Surgery: The Cornerstone of the Medical World

General Surgery: The Cornerstone of the Medical World

General surgery is a broad surgical specialty that encompasses the entire alimentary canal and abdominal contents, including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix, and bile ducts, as well as the thyroid gland in many cases. General surgeons also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, and soft tissue, trauma, peripheral artery disease, and hernias, and perform endoscopic procedures such as gastroscopy, colonoscopy, and laparoscopic procedures.

Role of General Surgeons

Emergency Interventions: They provide initial intervention in emergencies such as abdominal injuries, appendectomy, hernia repair, and bowel obstruction.

Planned Operations: They perform scheduled surgeries like gallbladder surgery, stomach and intestinal surgeries, thyroid surgeries, breast surgeries, and all types of cancer surgeries.

Diagnosis and Treatment: They manage patients' recovery process by examining patients, making diagnoses, and creating appropriate treatment plans.

Wound Care: They monitor the healing of surgical wounds and provide dressings and other necessary care.

Common Diseases in General Surgery

General surgeons deal with a wide range of diseases affecting all organs and systems of the human body. Some of the most common general surgical diseases include:

Digestive System Diseases:

Peptic ulcer: Treatment of ulcers, which are sores that form in the stomach lining.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Treatment of the condition caused by the stomach's acidic contents flowing back into the esophagus.

Hiatal hernia: Treatment of the condition caused by a portion of the stomach protruding through the diaphragm into the chest cavity.

Appendicitis: Treatment of inflammation and pus buildup in a small pouch called the appendix.

Bowel obstruction: Treatment of blockages that impede bowel function.

Gallstones: Treatment of gallstone formation and the problems they cause.

Colon cancer: Treatment of cancerous tumors in the colon and rectum.

Endocrine Surgery Diseases:

Thyroid diseases: Treatment of thyroid gland issues like goiter, nodules, and cancer.

Parathyroid diseases: Treatment of parathyroid gland issues like goiter and cancer.

Adrenal gland diseases: Treatment of adrenal gland issues like goiter and cancer.

 

Breast Diseases:

Breast cancer: Treatment of cancerous tumors in the breast.

Breast fibroadenoma: Treatment of a benign tumor in the breast.

Breast abscess: Treatment of inflammation and pus collection in the breast.

Vascular Surgery Diseases:

Varicose veins: Treatment of enlarged and bulging veins in the legs.

Aneurysm: Treatment of a weakened and ballooned area in a blood vessel wall.

Atherosclerosis: Treatment of narrowing and hardening of arteries.

Venous thrombosis: Treatment of blood clot formation in veins.

Oncology Surgery Diseases:

Stomach cancer: Treatment of cancerous tumors in the stomach.

Bowel cancer: Treatment of cancerous tumors in the intestines.

Liver cancer: Treatment of cancerous tumors in the liver.

Gallbladder cancer: Treatment of cancerous tumors in the gallbladder.

Pancreatic cancer: Treatment of cancerous tumors in the pancreas.

Breast cancer: Treatment of cancerous tumors in the breast.

Thoracic Surgery Diseases:

Lung cancer: Treatment of cancerous tumors in the lungs.

Pneumothorax: Treatment of air leakage between the lungs and chest wall.

Empyema: Treatment of inflammation and pus collection in the lungs.