25 Interesting Facts About Surgeons and Surgery

Interesting facts about surgeons:

Surgery is the branch of medicine that deals with the physical manipulation of a bodily structure to prevent, diagnose, or cure an ailment.

A surgeon is a physician who cuts the human body for the purpose of repairing body systems, to remove diseased organs or tissue, or to replace diseased organs with transplants.

Here Are The Top 25 Interesting Facts About Surgeons And Surgery:

History

#1 Evidence exists that circumcisions were done in Ancient Egypt as far as 10,000 BCE using crude stone and sharpened rocks as instruments.

#2 Pre-Incan people were performing brain surgery as early as 2,000 B.C. Also, physicians in ancient India were utilizing skin grafts for reconstructive work as early as 800 B.C.

#3 The early versions of the Hippocratic Oath cautioned physicians from practicing surgery because of their limited knowledge about the practice.

#4 Al-Zahrawi, a famous Islamic physician and surgeon, was highly influential from around 900 CE. He wrote a few books detailing subjects, like – military surgery, orthopedics, and nose, ear, and throat surgery.

#5 The Christian surgeons of the Middle Ages were clerics, that were familiar with the realm of medical literature.

#6 During the middle ages, regulations forbade women from practicing surgery unless they were deemed fit by a “competent” jury or unless they assumed their husbands’ practices upon their deaths.

#7 Universities during the Renaissance did not provide formal education in surgery, which was deemed as a trade due to its manual nature. But, people with this skill commonly took up residence in castles where they provided medical assistance to the wealthy and royalty.

#8 In the 16th century, the practice of surgery did become a little more advanced, especially after Leonardo Da Vinci dissected some human bodies and made accurate drawings of what he saw.

#9 In 1780, Jean-André Venel established the 1st orthopedic institute, which was actually the first hospital dedicated to the treatment of children’s skeletal deformities.facts about surgeons

America’s first plastic surgeon of note was Dr. John Peter Mettauer. In 1827, he performed the first cleft palate operation in the New World with instruments designed by himself.

#10 Surgery was a last resort in the 18th century which commonly resulted in infection and death anyway. But, things changed in 1867 when antiseptics to control infection came into widespread use.

#11 At the time of the Civil War, obtaining a medical degree was very easy. One only had to take a few courses at a proprietary medical college and apprentice with a local physician.

#12 In 1902, Georg Kelling from Dresden, Germany, performed the first laparoscopic surgery on dogs.

#13 Fast forward in 2018, surgeons at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi have performed one of the world’s rarest heart surgeries, replacing all 4 heart valves in an individual suffering from acute infective endocarditis (an inflammation of the endocardium, the inner lining of the heart and heart valves) which was caused by an infected tooth.

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Job Description & Career

Interesting Facts About Surgeons and Surgery
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#14 To become a surgeon, one needs to complete:

  • a five-year degree in medicine, which is recognized by the General Medical Council;
  • a two-year foundation programme of general training;
  • 2 years of core surgical training in a hospital;
  • about 6 years of specialty training.

#15 Surgeons usually do the following:

  • create and update patient records;
  • take a patient’s medical history;
  • help patients take care of their health by discussing topics, like – proper hygiene and nutrition;
  • update patient information and charts to show current treatments and findings;
  • answer questions or discuss concerns that patients have about their well-being and health;
  • order tests for other healthcare staff to perform;
  • counsel patients about the risks of surgery and the potential complications during post-op;
  • receive continuing education;
  • take part in research studies involving surgical techniques;
  • refer patients to specialists and other professionals;
  • consult with and assist other doctors;
  • recommend and design a plan of treatment;
  • review test results to identify any abnormal findings.

#16 Additionally, they operate on patients to treat injuries, like – broken bones or cancerous tumors.

They also prescribe preoperative and postoperative treatments and procedures, like – antibiotics, sedatives, and preparation and treatment of the patient’s operative area.

#17 During a medical procedure, the surgeon carries out the steps outlined with the patient in pre-surgery appointments. Specific actions vary based on the type of surgery, but the surgeon commonly uses standard tools and equipment to perform operations.

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Hours of Work

Facts About Surgeons and Surgery
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#18 Hours of work typically exceed 60 hours a week in busier practices. This usually can result in being awakened at all hours of the night and/or being asked to come in at irregular times to evaluate a patient.

#19 According to new research, surgeons progressively warm up as they repeat a procedure on their operating list, akin to the way athletes’ performance improves across a competition.

Salaryfun facts about surgeons

#20 The median expected annual pay for a typical surgeon in the US is about $374,710. Usually, women make up less than 1/3 of all General Surgeons.

#21 The usual US Army Surgeon salary is $150,381, and it can range from $137,000-$166,787 per year.

#22 According to Doximity’s second annual Physician Compensation Report, among surgeons, neurosurgeons have the highest average annual salary.

#23 Neurosurgeons had an average annual salary of $662,755 in 2017, followed by thoracic surgeons ($602,745), and orthopedic surgeons ($537,568).

#24 The highest payments in the surgeon profession (in the metropolitan areas) are found in Owensboro, Hattiesburg, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Portland, Oregon. In addition, the Syracuse, New York area pays well, as does the city of Minneapolis. Most surgeons enjoy medical insurance while the greater part also gets dental coverage.

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Types

#25 Surgeons typically specialize in one of the following areas:

  • vascular – they concentrate on the surgical treatment of conditions affecting the circulation, including disease of the veins, arteries, and lymphatic vessels;
  • urology – they fix problems of the male genitourinary tract and the female urinary system;
  • trauma and orthopedic- they treat a wide range of conditions of the supporting structures, like – tendons, ligaments, nerves, and muscles, and the musculoskeletal system;
  • plastic – they deal with surgical reconstruction, restoration, or alteration of the human body;
  • pediatric – they deal with surgery of unborn and premature babies, children, and young adults;
  • otolaryngology – they specialize in a wide range of diseases of the neck and head;
  • oral and maxillofacial – they deal with diseases affecting the jaws, mouth, neck, and face;
  • neurosurgery – they perform surgery on the spinal cord, brain, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system;
  • general;
  • cardiothoracic – they deal with surgical treatment inside the chest.

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References

http://www.cosecsa.org/school-surgeons-portal
https://www.rcsed.ac.uk/news-public-affairs/surgeons-news

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