Surgical Care

Surgical Diagnosis

What is a surgical diagnosis?

Unless it is an emergency, you and your physician may discuss surgery as a way to correct your condition upon diagnosis. This decision is based on careful evaluation of your personal medical history and subsequent medical tests, such as blood tests, x-rays, MRI, CT Scan, electrocardiogram, or other laboratory work, performed to determine the exact diagnosis.

What are the different types of surgery?

Depending on the diagnosis, a patient has several surgery options:

Optional or Elective Surgery - A procedure you choose to have, which may not necessarily be essential to continue a good quality of life. An example would be to have an unsightly mole or wart removed.
Required Surgery - A procedure which needs to be done to ensure quality of life in the future. An example would be having kidney stones removed if other forms of medication and treatments are not working. Required surgery, unlike emergency surgery, does not necessarily have to be done immediately.
Urgent or Emergency Surgery - This type of surgery is done in reaction to an urgent medical condition, such as acute appendicitis.

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

For patient inquiries, call 1-800-492-5538 or click here to make an appointment.