Surgical Care

Common Surgical Procedures

According to the American Medical Association, some of the most common surgical operations performed in the United States include the following:

appendectomy
An appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix to treat acute appendicitis. The appendix is a small tube that branches off the large intestine, with no known function. Appendicitis is the acute inflammation of this tube due to infection.
breast biopsy
A biopsy is a diagnostic test involving the removal of tissue or cells for examination under a microscope. This procedure is also used to remove abnormal breast tissue. A biopsy may be performed using a hollow needle to extract tissue (needle aspiration), or a lump may be partially or completely removed (lumpectomy) for examination and/or treatment.
Cesarean section
Cesarean section (also called a c-section) is the surgical delivery of a baby by an incision through the mother's abdomen and uterus. This procedure is performed when physicians determine it a safer alternative than a vaginal delivery for the mother, baby, or both.
cholecystectomy
A cholecystectomy is surgery to remove the gallbladder (a pear-shaped sac near the right lobe of the liver that holds bile). A gallbladder may need to be removed if the organ is prone to troublesome gallstones, if it is infected, or becomes cancerous.
coronary artery bypass surgery
Most commonly referred to as simply "bypass surgery," this surgery is often performed in people who have angina (chest pain) and coronary artery disease (where plaque has built up in the arteries). Bypass surgery consists of grafting veins or arteries from the aorta (a major artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body) to the coronary artery, bypassing areas that are blocked. Veins are usually taken from the leg.
debridement of wound, burn, or infection
Debridement involves the surgical removal of foreign material and/or dead, damaged, or infected tissue from a wound or burn. By removing the diseased or dead tissue, healthy tissue is exposed to allow for more effective healing.
free skin graft
A skin graft involves detaching healthy skin from one part of the body to repair areas of lost or damaged skin in another part of the body. Skin grafts are often performed as a result of burns, injury, or surgical removal of diseased skin. They are most often performed when the area is too large to be repaired by stitching or natural healing.
hemorrhoidectomy
A hemorrhoidectomy is the surgical removal of hemorrhoids, distended veins in the lower rectum or anus.
hysterectomy
A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of a woman's uterus. This may be performed either through an abdominal incision or vaginally.
inguinal hernia repair
Inguinal hernias are protrusions of part of the intestine into the muscles of the groin. Surgical repair pulls the intestine back to its original location.
mastectomy
A mastectomy is the removal of all or part of the breast. Mastectomies are usually performed to treat breast cancer. There are several types of mastectomies, including the following:
- partial (segmental) mastectomy, involves the removal of the breast cancer and a larger portion of the normal breast tissue around the breast cancer.
- total (or simple) mastectomy, in which the surgeon removes the entire breast, including the nipple, the areola (the colored, circular area around the nipple), and most of the overlying skin, and may also remove some of the lymph nodes under the arm, also called the axillary lymph glands.
- modified radical mastectomy, in which the surgeon removes the entire breast (including the nipple, the areola, and the overlying skin), some of the lymph nodes under the arm, and the lining over the chest muscles. In some cases, part of the chest wall muscles is also removed.
- radical mastectomy, involves removal of the entire breast (including the nipple, the areola, and the overlying skin), the lymph nodes under the arm, and the chest muscles.
partial colectomy
A partial colectomy is the removal of part of the large intestine (colon) which may be performed to treat cancer of the colon or long-term ulcerative colitis.
prostatectomy
The surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland, the sex gland in men that surrounds the neck of the bladder and urethra -- the tube that carries urine away from the bladder. A prostatectomy may be performed for an enlarged prostate, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or if the prostate gland is cancerous.
releasing of peritoneal adhesions
The peritoneum is a two-layered membrane that lines the wall of the abdominal cavity and covers abdominal organs. Sometimes, organs begin to adhere to the peritoneum, requiring surgery to detach them.
tonsillectomy
The surgical removal of one or both tonsils. Tonsils are located at the back of the mouth and help fight infections.

This page was last updated on: November 8, 2007.

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