Mercer, Philippa

Definitions

Breast surgery may involve any of a variety of surgical procedures carried out on the breasts of women (generally) and men. These procedures may include removing a sample of tissue from a breasttumour (abnormal growth), as well as removing malignant (cancerous) tumours. Surgery may also include breast reconstruction following a mastectomy (breast removal) for breast cancer. The surgeons who perform this type of breast reconstruction may be breast oncology (cancer) surgeons or plastic surgeons. (Surgeons trained in both specialities are known as oncoplastic surgeons.) Some breast surgeons also do cosmetic breast surgery, including enlargement and reduction.moreThe endocrine system consists of several glands (groups of cells), in different parts of the body, which discharge hormones directly into the bloodstream. Hormones have many different importantfunctions and ways of acting on organs of the body. During endocrine surgery procedures are performed on endocrine glands, usually to increase or decrease hormonal effects in the body. It often involves removing a tumour that has grown on or within an endocrine gland. Common endocrine surgery operations are removal of the thyroid gland located in the neck (thyroidectomy) and removal of the parathyroid glands located near the thyroid gland (parathyroidectomy). More rarely, surgery may remove one or both of the adrenal glands located near the kidneys (adrenalectomy).moreGeneral surgery takes its name from general medicine, and is a surgical specialty focusing on the torso and abdominal organs. This may include the intestines comprising the oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, pancreas, liver, gallbladder and bile ducts. It also often deals with diseases and disorders involving the skin and breasts.more