Boulcott Hospital

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.moreEndometriosis is a common condition in which small pieces of the uterus (womb) lining, known as the endometrium, are found outside the uterus. This could be in the fallopian tubes, ovaries, bladder,bowel, vagina, rectum and other places. Endometriosis may not produce any symptoms, or it may commonly cause painful menstruation, and pain in the lower abdomen, pelvis or lower back. It may also lead to infertility. Those between age 25 and 40 are most affected. It is a long-term condition with no known cure, but symptoms can be managed and fertility improved with pain medication, hormone treatment or surgery, so that the condition does not interfere with daily life.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.moreGynaecology is concerned with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the female reproductive system, including the uterus, ovaries and vagina, and associated organs andstructures. Gynaecologists treat a wide range of conditions, including cancer and pre-cancerous diseases of the reproductive organs including ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, vagina and vulva; urinary incontinence; painful, heavy or absent menstrual periods; infertility; prolapse of pelvic organs; and infections of the vagina, cervix and uterus.moreLaparoscopic surgery, also known as ‘keyhole surgery’, is carried out with the aid of a camera inserted into the abdomen or pelvis. A small incision is made in the abdominal wall through which alaparoscope, a flexible lighted tube with a camera attached, is inserted so that structures within the abdomen and pelvis can be examined. The abdominal cavity is made more visible by distending it with an absorbable gas, usually carbon dioxide. A number of major and minor surgeries may be carried out. A variety of tubes and long, narrow instruments can be inserted through the same incision in the skin, or via other small incisions, facilitating a number of procedures without the need for a large surgical incision. The surgeon uses these instruments to manipulate, cut and sew tissue. A number of procedures can be performed laparoscopically, including gallbladder removal (laparoscopic cholecystectomy), oesophageal surgery (laparoscopic fundoplication), colon surgery (laparoscopic colectomy), and surgery on the stomach and spleen. Most patients receive general anaesthetic during the procedure.moreOrthopaedic surgery is concerned with treating conditions involving the musculoskeletal system, which is made up of bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles. Orthopaedic surgeons use bothsurgical and non-surgical methods to treat a wide range of problems, including trauma (injury), sports injuries, degenerative diseases (e.g. arthritis), infections, tumours and congenital disorders (those present at birth). Various procedures to treat the knee, shoulder and hip are among the most commonly performed surgery.moreOtolaryngology deals with diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, throat (ENT) and related structures of the head and neck, including the sinuses, larynx (voice box), oral cavity, and upper pharynx (mouth and throat). Otolaryngology is commonly called ENT.moreUrology involves the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the urinary system in females and the genitourinary system (urinary system and genital organs) in males. The urinary systemis made up of: the kidneys, ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder), bladder, sphincter muscles (muscles around the opening of the bladder into the urethra) and urethra (tube that carries urine to the outside of the body). Male reproductive organs include the penis, scrotum, testes, epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, and prostate (a walnut-sized gland situated between the bladder and the penis and in front of the rectum). Urologists may treat a variety of conditions, including: benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an enlargement of the prostate gland; prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate); prostate cancer; bladder cancer; haematuria (blood in the urine, which may be caused by problems with the kidneys, bladder or prostate, or blockages in the ureter); kidney failure (when the kidneys cannot remove waste products from the blood or control the amount of water in your body); stones which form in the kidneys but can be found anywhere in the urinary system; proteinuria (protein in the urine which may indicate a problem with the kidneys); bladder control problems such as incontinence or retention; and urinary tract infections (UTIs).more