General surgery, despite its name, is a surgical specialty that focuses on surgical treatment of abdominal organs, e.g. intestines including esophagus, stomach, colon, liver, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland (depending on the availability of head and neck surgery specialists) and hernias.

In Australia, Canada, the US and the UK, general surgeons are responsible for breast care, including the surgical treatment of breast cancer. In most other countries, breast care falls under Obstetrics and Gynecology and its sub-specialty of Mastology (or Senology).

In the last few years minimally invasive surgery has become more and more important. Considerable enthusiasm has built around robotic surgery (or, more accurately, robotic-assisted surgery), despite the scant data currently available failing to show real benefit.

See also

• Surgery
• Abdominal surgery

General surgery | Surgical specialties

Kirurgia orokor | 일반외과 | Chirurgia ogólna | Cirurgia geral | Genel cerrahi