Surgery is a branch of medicine which uses surgical techniques or operative technique on an individual to explore or treat a physiological or pathological condition like an injury or a disease, to aid improve bodily function, look, or to fix physical deformity. It involves the process of removing abnormal tissue from the body with the aim of changing or enhancing its function. The common components of surgery include the operating apparatus like the surgical knife, general anaesthetic and other medications as prescribed by the surgeon. Anesthesia facilitates painless operation and unconsciousness. General anesthesia makes a patient unconscious during the surgery. Recovery after surgery can take a few days or a few weeks, depending on the type of surgery performed.
A wide range of minimally invasive and complex minimally invasive surgery is available in the UK. The most popular types of minimally invasive procedures are hip & knee replacements, breast augmentation, abdominoplasty, dermabrasion, hand surgery, rhinoplasties, non-surgical weight loss management, shoulder surgery, neck and head surgeries. Complex minimally invasive surgeries like earctomy, nose surgery, heart surgery, lung surgery, and breast implant surgeries are increasingly common. These procedures can be performed under local anaesthesia or general anesthesia. Generally, non-surgical treatments require less invasive procedures and thus are more frequently used for long-term treatments.
Hip replacement reduces pain both during and after the treatment. In addition, hip replacement surgery is a minimally invasive surgery which is less painful and has fewer complications. Hip replacement surgery requires smaller incisions, decreased trauma to surrounding tissues, and faster healing. Patients have a life expectancy of between three and seven years after having hip replacement surgery.
A major drawback of open surgery is the length of time it takes for the wound to heal. Open surgery allows for greater migration of tissues and fluid from the area of surgery. This migration can compromise the integrity of surrounding tissues. Patients need approximately four to six weeks for the wound to close properly and for the area to recover.
Vascular surgery, such as cardiopulmonary surgery (CPR), is one of the most complicated procedures. Cardiac and lung surgery require larger incisions and longer periods of recovery. Most cardiopulmonary surgery is performed under general anesthesia and the patient is unable to drive for a few days after the procedure. As with any procedure involving the heart or lungs, there is always a chance of complications and patients are advised to seek additional information from their surgeon, physician or cardiac nurse.
Surgical hernia surgery involves the insertion of an endoscope, a tool with a camera on its exterior, into the area where a hernia exists. The camera provides the surgeon with a view of the areas in which the surgery is being performed. It is possible to have minimally invasive neck surgery, but it is also possible to have invasive procedures that require larger incisions. Before undergoing neck surgery it is important that you speak to your surgeon about the possible complications and outcomes associated with the procedure.
