Who is a surgeon?
A surgeon is the leader of the surgical team. They are responsible for providing a preoperative diagnosis of the patient, performing the surgery, and providing postoperative care and treatment. A surgical team typically includes a surgeon's assistant, an anesthesiologist, and operating room nurses. The surgeon must ensure that all these work in tandem during surgery.
Surgeons use instruments such as scalpels, probes, needles, lasers, and ultrasounds during surgery. They may also perform radiation and ionizing.
Surgeons can work in hospitals, academic medicine, government programs, uniformed services, and ambulatory surgery settings. They can also have private practices or institutional practices.
What kind of education and training do surgeons receive?
Aspiring surgeons first complete their graduation with pre-medical or other science-oriented subjects. After graduation, students enroll in a medical college where they study and train for four years. They study theory for the first two years and receive practical training for the following two years. Additionally, students learn to diagnose and treat various illnesses under the guidance of experts in medical settings such as clinics and hospitals.
On clearing medical school, students earn a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) or a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree. Doctors then complete a residency in surgery, which can take a minimum of five years, depending on the specialty chosen.
After completing the residency, they must intern for a few years in the surgery department of a hospital. The duration of the internship, too, can vary depending on the specialty. Surgeons must clear a stringent state-level licensing process before they can begin practice.
They can also get board-certified by clearing examinations conducted by their respective board and fulfilling any other requirements. For example, the American Board of Surgery (ABS) offers certifications for vascular, general, pediatric, and critical surgical care.
What are the different kinds of surgeons?
Based on their specialty, many different kinds of surgeons use other techniques. Each surgeon focuses on a specific area of the human body or a particular medical area.
- Endocrine surgeons treat the endocrine glands, including the thyroid, adrenal, and parathyroid glands.
- Transplant surgeons focus on transplanting an organ from one donor to another patient. This surgery is so complicated that surgeons often specialize in one organ.
- Neurosurgeons focus on treating disorders of the nervous system and the brain.
- Oculoplastic surgeons operate on the eyelids, eye sockets, tear ducts, and face near the eyes. They can perform cosmetic and medically necessary reconstructive surgery on the above body parts.
- Ophthalmologists are eye doctors who perform surgeries to correct eye and vision problems. They are also known as ophthalmic surgeons. These specialists can perform surgeries such as removing detached retinas and cataracts and reshaping corneas. They can also perform laser surgery and treat glaucoma.
- Podiatric surgeons specialize in surgeries related to the feet or ankles. They treat such issues as pain in the feet and ankles, bunions, and injuries.
- General surgeons can perform surgery on almost any body part and treat various conditions.
- Bariatric surgeons perform surgery on obese patients to reduce the stomach's ability to take in food. They perform such surgeries as adjustable gastric bands, sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric bypass.
- Orthopedic surgeons treat problems of the bones, muscles, arteries, joints, associated nerves, and skin — the musculoskeletal system. Many orthopedic surgeons specialize further in a specific area, such as sports medicine or spinal surgery.
- Urologists or urological surgeons are specialists in performing surgery on the bladder, kidneys, uterus, urethra, prostate, and testes. They treat issues such as kidney stones, incontinence, and cancers.
- Colon and rectal surgeons operate on the rectum, colon, and intestinal systems. They can remove cancerous tissue and polyps. They can also provide procedures for inflammatory bowel diseases.
- Trauma surgeons operate on severely injured patients. They generally work in the most intense circumstances or life-and-death situations.
- Obstetricians and gynecologists (OB-GYNs) can help deliver babies and are experts in the female reproductive system.
- Oral and maxillofacial surgeons operate on the face, neck, head, and jaws.
- Otolaryngologists are ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors who operate on these body parts.
- Pediatric surgeons focus on children from infants to teenagers.
- Thoracic surgeons or cardiac surgeons specialize in conditions of the heart and other chest organs.
- Vascular surgeons focus on circulatory system conditions, or the arteries and veins. They operate on people who have suffered strokes. They treat the hardening of the nerves, blood clots, or aneurysms.
- Plastic and maxillofacial surgeons replace body parts and perform reconstructive surgery. They do cosmetic surgery and can repair skin defects and problems with the underlying musculoskeletal body structure.
Classification of surgical procedures
Surgical procedures are classified generically based on their urgency, location, objective, degree of invasiveness, and the instruments and methods used:
- An operation can be elective, semi-elective, or emergency based on urgency.
- According to the location, operations can be gastrointestinal (digestive tract), genitourinary (reproductive and urinary organs), hepatic (liver), nephrotic (kidneys), neurologic (nervous system), orthopedic (bones and joints), and others.
- Depending on its objective, an operation can be exploratory (diagnostic), therapeutic, cosmetic, corrective, or reconstructive.
- An operation may be minimally invasive or need open surgery, depending on the degree of invasiveness.
- Depending on the instruments, you might undergo laser surgery, microsurgery, laparoscopic surgery ("keyhole surgery"), angioplasty (surgery through a blood artery using a catheter), or a robotic operation.
What happens during a surgery?
Any surgery will eventually involve an incision. For example, an angiography involves a minor incision in the arm or leg, whereas laparoscopy involves many keyhole incisions to introduce the scope and surgical instruments. The traditional method is open surgery, which involves making a bigger incision with a scalpel.
Before surgery, the surgeon's hands, wrists, and forearms would be thoroughly cleansed for at least four minutes, followed by applying sterile gloves to both hands. Surgeons use sterile drapes around the operating site, and surgical masks prevent contamination from droplets or aerosolized microorganisms.
The surgical team may perform one or more of the following procedures during the operation:
- Ablation: Using electricity, chemicals, microwaves, or freezing to destroy tissue or tumors.
- Anastomosis: The reconnection or bypass of fluid-carrying structures such as blood vessels or intestines.
- Angioplasty: The dilation of a constricted blood artery.
- Arthrodesis: The surgical joining of bones to allow them to grow together.
- Debridement: The process of removing dead tissue.
- Decompression: Includes intracranial pressure or spinal vertebral decompression
- Excision: The surgical removal of an organ, tumor, or tissue.
- Grafts: The transfer of tissue from one body region to another.
- Implants: Surgeons permanently or semi-permanently implant mechanical devices in the body, such as pacemakers, heart valves, and cochlear implants.
- Ligation: The binding of tubes, blood arteries, or ducts together.
- Prostheses: Man-made devices that replace body parts such as the knee, hip, or breasts.
- Reduction: Correcting the position of a body part, such as bone or cartilage.
- Resection: Removal of a portion of an organ or structure.
- Stent implantation: Inserting a tube-like artificial implant into restricted or obstructed arteries or ducts.
- Transplantation: The transfer of a donated human or animal organ or tissue.
When and why should one visit a surgeon?
Surgeries can be for various reasons. For example, a specialist may refer you to a surgeon if they think you can benefit from surgery or treatment from a surgeon. Surgeries can be emergent or elective. Life-threatening situations such as serious injuries or illnesses require emergent surgery. On the other hand, elective surgeries happen gradually, and the patient has the time to decide when to opt for the same. However, some elective surgeries may not be optional.
You can also visit a surgeon if you need an accurate condition diagnosis. Surgeons can perform cosmetic surgery if you want to change your appearance or repair and remove diseased organs or tissue. They can perform biopsies by getting specific tissue from a suspected malignant area or removing an obstruction.
Surgeons can move body parts back into their correct position, transplant organs, put mechanical or electronic devices in the body when required, or redirect blood vessels.
How can one find a good surgeon in Marietta, Georgia?
Register for a free account on the Zocdoc website to get started. Using filters depending on geography and insurance coverage, you can locate hundreds of surgeons from our extensive database. Our clever technology gives you a list of potential matches in just a few minutes.
Once you have a list of surgeons who match your criteria, click on individual profiles for more details. Each profile includes the surgeon's training and education history, hospital affiliations, board certification, honors, awards, accreditations, specialization, etc. You can choose a surgeon based on gender, language, and their experience with children. You can read ratings and verified patient reviews to decide.
You can schedule a virtual session first, then an in-person consultation based on your preference. The weekends and after regular office hours may also be accessible for appointments with some surgeons.
Booking appointments on Zocdoc is simple, cost-free, and secure.
Statistics on surgeons in Georgia and the conditions they treat
According to the May 2021 edition of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were around 1,070 general surgeons, 210 orthopedic surgeons (except pediatric), 190 ophthalmologists (except pediatric), 70 cardiologists, and 930 OB-GYNs in Georgia.
Surgeons can operate on patients with various conditions, including cancer and obesity. According to America's health rankings, about 5.6% of adults in Georgia were diagnosed with some form of cancer (excluding skin cancer) in 2021. Women (6.9%) were more affected by cancer than men (4.7%). The condition's incidence increased with age, as about 17.5% of those 65 and above had cancer. The percentage was lower in those aged 18 to 44 (1.5%) and those aged 45 to 64 (5.1%).
Further, about 33.9% of adults in the state were obese and had a body mass index of 30 and above based on their weight and height. Women (35.8%) were more obese than men (32%). The condition's incidence was highest at around 40.6% in those aged 45 to 64. The percentage was lower in those aged 18 to 44 (31.6%) and those 65 and above (28.7%).
Sources
American College of Surgeons
WebMD
Learn.org
Rasmussen University
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
America's Health Rankings[1]
America's Health Rankings[2]
Verywell Health
