Surgical procedures

Many of us will undergo surgery at some time in our lives. The surgical procedures section of the medical dictionary will tell you more about what will happen and what you can do to prepare for surgery. Surgical procedures can be elective, where a surgeon corrects a condition that is not life-threatening. Emergency surgery is performed to save life or functional capacity. Exploratory surgery is performed to confirm a diagnosis, while therapeutic surgery treats a previously diagnosed condition.

You can find out about a surgical procedure or a medical term connected with surgery by selecting an entry from the index below, or searching this page:

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