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General Surgery Types

  • About
  • About
Overview
Types
Procedures
  • Surgery preparation
  • Tests performed before surgery
  • Recovering
  • After surgery discomforts
  • Pain management
  • Discharge planning
What to Expect
  • Day of surgery
  • Communicating with your physician
  • Learning about your surgeon
  • Determining procedure costs
  • Obtaining a second opinion
  • Surgery checklist
Complications
FAQs
  • Before surgery
  • Consent and advanced directives
  • Location logistics
  • Outpatient surgery
Overview
Types
Procedures
  • Surgery preparation
  • Tests performed before surgery
  • Recovering
  • After surgery discomforts
  • Pain management
  • Discharge planning
What to Expect
  • Day of surgery
  • Communicating with your physician
  • Learning about your surgeon
  • Determining procedure costs
  • Obtaining a second opinion
  • Surgery checklist
Complications
FAQs
  • Before surgery
  • Consent and advanced directives
  • Location logistics
  • Outpatient surgery

What Are the Different Methods of Surgery?

With technical advances today, surgery does not necessarily mean large incisions, as in the past. Depending on the type of surgery, there are several surgery methods that may be performed:

  • Open surgery - an "open" surgery means the cutting of skin and tissues so that the surgeon has a full view of the structures or organs involved. Examples of open surgery are the removal of the organs, such as the gallbladder or kidneys.
  • Minimally invasive surgery - minimally invasive surgery is any technique involved in surgery that does not require a large incision. This relatively new approach allows the patient to recuperate faster with less pain. Not all conditions are suitable for minimally invasive surgery. 

Many surgery techniques now fall under minimally invasive surgery:

  • Laparoscopy
  • Endoscopy
  • Arthroscopy
  • Bronchoscopy
  • Cystoscopy
  • Gastroscopy
  • Hysteroscopy
  • Laryngoscopy
  • Sigmoidoscopy  

In addition to using traditional surgical knives in surgery, both open and minimally invasive surgery can use the following alternative techniques, depending on diagnosis:

  • Laser surgery 
  • Electrosurgery  
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