General surgery - Definition and Overview

General Surgery deals with surgical treatment of abdominal organs, e.g. intestines inclusive esophagus, stomach, colon, liver, gallbladder and bile ducts, and furthermore of the thyroid gland (depending on the availability of head and neck surgery specialists) and hernia.

In the US and in the UK, general surgeons are responsible for breast care, including the surgical treatment of breast cancer. In most other countries, breast care falls under Obstetrics and Gynecology and its sub-specialty of Mastology (or Senology).

In the last years minimally invasive surgery became more and more important. Considerable enthusiasm has built around robotic surgery (or, more accurately, robotic-assisted surgery), despite the scant data currently available failing to show real benefit.

See also: Surgery, Abdominal Surgery