General Surgery is a Surgical Specialty

A Minimally Invasive Approach to General Surgery

General Surgery is a Surgical Specialty

General Surgery is a Surgical Specialty


general surgery boise

What is a General Surgeon?

A General Surgeon is an expert medical professional who is qualified and trained in the perioperative management of a patient. General Surgeons must maintain a broad knowledge of anatomy, physiology, emergency, and intensive care, metabolism, nutrition, pathology, shock, resuscitation, and wound healing. The specialty of General Surgery includes performing many types of surgical procedures to diagnose, manage, and treat a broad range of health problems and diseases. General Surgeons not only conduct surgeries for many common ailments but are also responsible for patient care before, during, and after those surgical procedures.

What Education and Training does a General Surgeon have?


General Surgery is a distinct specialty. Many people get the name “General Surgeon” confused with “General Practitioner”. Only a doctor that has completed an accredited 5-year residency training in general surgery can be called a General Surgeon. Those 5 years of training are completed after medical school, so the typical General Surgeon has completed at least 9 years of medical training after college. Many have done an extra 2 years or more of laboratory research time during their residency or prior to their residency.

What does a General Surgeon do During their Residency?


During a general surgery residency, residents rotate through sub-specialty programs such as pediatric surgery, vascular surgery, cardiothoracic, and transplant surgery. This allows the general surgery resident to perform these surgeries in training and specific numbers of these surgeries must be performed. Bowel, breast and usually trauma and emergency surgeries are done throughout the residency.

What Makes a General Surgeon Different?


General Surgeons are the specialists who perform gallbladder, hernia, stomach, small bowel, appendectomy, colon, and breast surgeries. Colorectal surgery, vascular surgery, trauma surgery, thoracic surgery, and plastic surgery are all specialty branches arising from general surgery. Those specialists usually do a fellowship training program after their five years of general surgery residency training program. These typically last a year or two. General Surgeons in rural areas or areas without these certain branch specialists perform thoracic surgeries such as lung resections, vascular surgeries, and trauma surgeries. General Surgeons perform endoscopy procedures such as colonoscopies and upper scopes or esophago-gastroduodenoscopies (EGD). Thyroid and parathyroid surgeries were traditionally performed by General Surgeons, but now many ENT (ear, nose, throat, specialists) perform many of those surgeries as well as General Surgeons.

What Procedures do General Surgeons Perform?


Although it is called "general", the doctors who practice general surgery are skilled specialty surgeons who mostly operate on abdominal complaints including hernias, appendicitis, gallbladders, stomach, and intestinal issues or breast cancer or other problems, but thyroid disease, melanoma or other skin cancers or problems, varicose veins, and subcutaneous masses and cysts are other common problems that General Surgeons treat.

Which Parts of the Body Does a General Surgeon Treat?


According to the American Board of Surgery, general surgeons are trained to operate on the:

  • Abdomen and its contents
  • Alimentary Tract (esophagus, stomach, small and large bowel, rectum and related organs)
  • Endocrine System (Pancreas, Adrenal glands, thyroid, parathyroid, etc)
  • Breast, Skin, and Soft Tissue

Also, general surgeons have knowledge and experience in:

  • Surgical Oncology (Surgical and medical care of cancer)
  • Surgical Critical Care
  • Trauma

Which General Surgery Procedures Does Dr. Williams Specialize In?


Dr. Williams specializes in a broad range of surgeries with a focus on minimally invasive approaches and advanced laparoscopy. However, these are the most commonly performed procedures:

Why/When Should You Choose a General Surgeon?


Patients may consult a General Surgeon if:

  • Their doctor has referred theme - When a treatment plan requires a more invasive intervention, your doctor may refer you to a General Surgeon.
  • The patient requires emergency care - Acute appendicitis, complications of gallbladder disease, or trauma such as a motor vehicle wreck or burn may necessitate emergent referral to a General Surgeon.
  • Any condition mentioned above can be seen and treated by a General Surgeon.
general surgery in boise

Minimally Invasive General Surgery Options
Straight From Dr. Williams