surgery

The area of surgery encompasses a total of eight different sub-areas, all of which deal with the operative, i.e. invasive treatment and follow-up treatment of complaints, injuries or diseases of different body regions and body parts.

For example, while the visceral surgeon deals with the surgical treatment of organs in the abdominal cavity, the thoracic surgeon is responsible for the invasive treatment of the lungs, bronchi and other parts of the chest cavity. Surgical interventions usually take place under general or local anesthesia and are therefore associated with strain on the lungs, heart and kidneys, which, especially for patients with a disease of these organs, carries an increased risk of surgery.

What is the surgery?

The field of surgery encompasses a total of eight different sub-areas, all of which deal with the operative, i.e. invasive treatment and follow-up treatment of complaints, injuries or diseases of different body regions and body parts.

Surgery is a medical branch that develops operative solutions for injuries and illnesses. Surgical interventions already existed in the Stone Age, for example in the form of amputations.

Since then, surgery has of course developed further, anesthesia has been introduced and, above all, its hygiene standards have been improved in order to minimize the risk of infections or even sepsis. While in the distant past patients often died during surgical interventions, today's surgery is largely associated with minimal risks, since many surgical interventions are part of the daily bread of a hospital.

Today there are a total of eight different disciplines in surgery that the doctor can specialize in during training. In addition to general surgery, vascular surgery and cardiac surgery, pediatric surgery, orthopedics and trauma surgery are important orientations, but plastic surgery, thoracic surgery and visceral surgery are also surgical sub-areas.

Function, effect & goals

Each sub-area of ​​surgery is responsible for different symptoms and each includes its own surgical methods for treatment. A general statement about the areas of application is therefore almost impossible in this case.

One of the most important tasks of vascular surgeons, for example, is the creation of vascular bypasses that restore blood circulation in the event of arterial occlusion. The layman, on the other hand, often associates heart transplants with heart surgery. In fact, the coronary artery bypass forms the heart of cardiac surgery, a blood vessel bridge when the coronary artery in the heart muscle is occluded. In pediatric surgery, the focus is on the surgical treatment of urological diseases, organ tumors or injuries in childhood.

Orthopedists and trauma surgeons surgically treat malformations and diseases of the musculoskeletal system, such as skeletal diseases as well as complaints of the muscles, the ligamentous system or the tendons. Broken bones are one of the most common areas of application for orthopedic surgeons and trauma surgeons. Plastic surgery, on the other hand, is aesthetic or reconstructive. For functional or cosmetic reasons, plastic surgeons intervene in organs or parts of the tissue to change their shape. Thoracic surgery, in turn, deals with malformations and diseases of the lungs, bronchi, pleura or the chest wall and mediastinum.

The patient is referred to a thoracic surgeon especially in the case of tumor diseases in the areas mentioned. Despite these and many other differences, all surgical procedures have one thing in common: the invasive approach. Endoscopy and related interventions are understood as minimally invasive procedures with the least amount of skin and soft tissue injuries. They are particularly relevant for visceral surgery, which deals with surgical treatments of the abdominal organs.

Regardless of the area, the patient is put under anesthesia before each surgical procedure. In addition to general anesthesia, local anesthesia may also be an option. Exactly where the doctor opens the patient's body during the operation, removes or inserts something depends on the clinical picture. Various methods are now even available for bone cuts, including, for example, the laser method. Regardless of which process is used for what purpose, they all have in common the sterile work. Therefore, all surgical interventions have one thing in common: disinfection of the operating field, the instruments, the operating doctors and the patient.

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Risks, side effects & dangers

Ultimately, every single operation is related to specific risks and side effects that cannot be generalized. The greatest risk of plastic surgery is usually the rejection of the implant, while bleeding and clot formation play an increased role in vascular surgery.

Despite such differences, however, some risks apply to any surgical procedure. This includes, for example, the risk of infection, which an experienced and competent doctor will keep to a minimum. Open interventions in particular harbor an increased risk of sepsis, i.e. the risk of systemic blood poisoning or inflammatory reactions due to bacteria or fungi. However, given the current state of medicine, this risk also only rarely occurs in Western countries.

Some dispositions may prevent surgery. Basically, surgical procedures are not indicated for people with existing inflammation, for example. Therefore, the doctor will take blood samples before an invasive procedure. If active inflammation is suspected due to increased inflammation values, this must first heal completely before an operation is carried out.

Every surgical procedure puts a strain on the heart, lungs and kidneys. How high this load is depends on the type and duration of the anesthesia. If the heart, lungs or kidneys themselves are affected by diseases, there is an increased risk of anesthesia and surgery for the patient. The same applies to people who are overweight, regardless of existing illnesses.