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Five Kinds of Surgeons

There are many different kinds of surgeons, each trained to specialize in the surgical treatment of a specific area of the human body. Many surgeons choose to focus on a specialty within their discipline, such as a neo-natal obstetrician who works with premature or one- to two-month old babies.

  1. General Surgeon

    • General surgeons diagnose and treat various disorders, injuries and diseases of the torso. They focus on the abdominal organs, alimentary tract and soft tissues. Doctors trained in the discipline of general surgery must know how to recognize a full spectrum of symptoms. They have a working knowledge of a wide range of conditions requiring surgical treatment. General surgeons achieve a comprehensive knowledge of ailments and conditions while serving their general surgery residency.

    Neurosurgeon

    • Neurosurgeons are doctors specializing in surgeries of the brain, skull, spinal cord and peripheral nerves of the central nervous system. They perform operations to relieve pressure and bleeding inside the skull from head injuries, brain aneurysms, abscesses and tumors. Neurosurgeons treat conditions and disorders such as epilepsy, hydrocephalus and strokes. They use techniques including endoscopic and robotic surgery to remove brain and pituitary gland tumors without injuring other parts of the brain.

    Heart Surgeon

    • Also called cardiac surgeons, heart surgeons operate on the cardiovascular system, including the heart and its major vessels and arteries. They treat heart disease and correct congenital heart defects. Their duties include coronary artery bypass operations and the repair of aneurysms in the aorta. Heart surgeons treat coronary artery disease with the procedure of angioplasty. The doctors use open-heart surgery to repair and replace heart valves. Devices such as stints are implanted by heart surgeons. Massive heart attacks require heart transplants.

    Plastic Surgeon

    • Plastic, or reconstructive, surgeons operate on the body's skin and soft tissues. They do skin grafts to help burn victims regrow their epidermal layers. Plastic surgeons reconstruct and repair areas of soft tissue damage and loss from serious accidents or previous surgeries. Some plastic surgeons specialize in cosmetic surgery to improve the patient's appearance. These surgeries include rhinoplasty, face-lifts, liposuction and female breast augmentation or reduction. Minor procedures include tattoo, wart and mole removal.

    Obstetrician

    • Obstetricians are surgeons trained to deliver babies. They provide care for the mother and her fetus before birth. Obstetricians oversee normal births and treat abnormal deliveries such as breech births and high-risk deliveries, including mothers with preeclampsia. Obstetricians perform Caesarean sections to surgically remove babies from the mother's womb.

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