Under the door of a surgeon in any clinic you can often see a large queue. In this office, the reception is unhurried and thorough. Most often, patients get here in the direction of other specialists, when it is impossible to eliminate the problem with conservative methods of treatment. So who is a surgeon? What can he do where other specialists are powerless?
What is surgery?
Surgery is an extensive field of medicine that studies acute and chronic diseases, the treatment of which requires surgery. This method involves an incision or puncture of the skin and mucous membranes to obtain surgical access, eliminate organ pathology (treatment), and restore the integrity of the cut tissues. Each operation is a difficult and painstaking job. The surgeon must thoroughly know the features of the structure and functioning of the organ or system of organs, the treatment of which he is engaged.
A bit of history
It is difficult to say what prompted the first doctor to take up the knife. It was this simple curiosity or confidence in their knowledge. But the fact remains: attempts at surgical operations are recorded in ancient Greek treatises, in the historical sources of China and Egypt, dated about the 1st century BC. The works of Hippocrates and Avicenna on methods of treating injuries and injuries have been preserved.
In the period from the 9th to the 20th centuries of our era, a solid scientific foundation was laid under surgery. Antiseptic methods were developed, anesthesia appeared. Gradually, surgery has become a complex science, with certain methods and techniques for conducting operations.
The constant development of the industry has led to the emergence of sophisticated ultra-precise equipment that allows operations to be carried out with minimal consequences. Looking at laser scalpels and numerous computer monitors, some begin to doubt who the surgeon is today - a doctor or a medical equipment operator? Although there should be no doubt. Without deep and thorough medical knowledge, no technique can help a surgeon cure a patient.
The industry is constantly evolving. The surgeon receives basic knowledge by reading the works of Pare, Simpson, X-ray and Pirogov, but he learns all his life in order to keep up with progress and save the lives of patients.
Specialization
In fact, surgical interventions are carried out in all areas of medicine. But, having received a basic education, the young doctor chooses a narrow field of surgery in which he will specialize. Therefore, it is difficult to unequivocally answer the question of who the surgeon is, because of the focus of specialization:
- Cardiac surgeon eliminates the pathology of the cardiovascular system.
- Thoracic - performs operations on the organs of the chest.
- Angiosurgeon understands aneurysms and varicose veins.
- Neurosurgeon is a specialist in operations on the brain and spine. It removes tumors and eliminates the effects of injuries.
- A plastic surgeon is able to correct noticeable defects in the body or appearance, change the shape of the nose, increase breast size, and so on.
- A transplant surgeon replaces an unhealthy organ with a donor worker.
- An abdominal surgeon operates on the abdominal and retroperitoneal organs.
- A pediatric surgeon operates on injuries, organ pathologies and hereditary diseases.
- An ophthalmologist may notice a clouded lens, eliminate myopia, or operate on glaucoma.
In addition, there are specialists who perform operations on the maxillofacial apparatus, and doctors who open abscesses or boils, that is, who are engaged in purulent surgery, and so on.
Who goes to the surgeon?
After watching the series on medical topics, ordinary people think that the surgeon is a sort of wizard. He solves puzzles daily and carries out complex unique operations. Of course, every surgical intervention is a certain risk. But many operations are carried out so often that they are brought to automaticity. For example, appendicitis and hernias. Quite often, a surgeon comes with furunculosis, a stomach ulcer, hemorrhoids, varicose veins and benign formations. More complicated cases are peritonitis and oncology. But in the practice of each surgeon there were operations “on the verge of a foul”, when the patient's life depended on the decision made. Alas, these decisions are not always correct ...
Patients often try to get to the advertised "luminary" of surgery. But it is worth considering that reviews of surgeons can be both positive and negative, depending on how successful this or that operation was. The opinion of others, of course, does not hurt when making a decision to turn to a specific doctor. It is also worth paying attention to the experience of a specialist. The doctor must be able to listen to the patient, and also make the right decision even in difficult situations, because the health and even the life of the patient depends on this.
When to make an appointment?
Most often, they come to the surgeon with a referral from other specialists. But there are cases when you should go to an appointment on an urgent basis, maybe not even at the clinic, but by ambulance, immediately to the hospital. Such cases, for example, include a sharp onset of acute pain in the abdomen and intensified vomiting with blood. With such symptoms, you should not hesitate, because it can be appendicitis, pancreatitis or a stomach ulcer. Do not delay the visit to the surgeon when injured.
It is worth signing up for a scheduled appointment if wounds have appeared on the body that have not been healed for more than 2 weeks. If on palpation a seal was found in the area of ​​the mammary gland (even if it does not give painful sensations). You need to go to the surgeon with a noticeable compaction of the lymph nodes, especially if pain is felt during palpation.
They come to the surgeon with ulcers on the skin, ingrown nails, swollen joints, coarsened calluses. Patients who do not understand who the surgeon is and what he does are often surprised themselves to receive a ticket to this specialist in the registry.
How is the initial intake?
In any, even the smallest provincial clinic, the surgeon conducts an initial appointment according to one scenario. First of all, he interviews the patient and listens to his complaints. Then he conducts an examination and appoints the necessary examinations (tests, x-rays, ultrasound and others). This allows you to decide on the feasibility of surgical intervention.
When handling injuries - carries out processing, sutures, gauze or plaster dressings.
Where do surgeons study?
Many medical students want to be surgeons, but not everyone reaches their goal. For six years, a student has been “nibbling granite” at a medical university, but after receiving a doctor’s diploma, he will be able to do general practice at a polyclinic or district hospital. To be admitted to the operating table, a young specialist goes through a two-year residency and receives a confirmation certificate. This is followed by graduate school, which lasts 3 years. But even after this, the young doctor works under the supervision of a more experienced specialist. To become an independent practicing surgeon, the young specialist graduates for another 5-10 years.
A world-class surgeon must speak foreign languages ​​(at least English), attend conferences at various levels, and even better make presentations at them. And the surgeon will have to study throughout his professional career, otherwise he will hopelessly lag behind medical progress.