General Surgery Office Procedures

Doctors have been able to perform an increasing number of general surgical procedures in their offices thanks to technological advances in the field of medicine. According to the Lifeline to Modern Medicine website, which is affiliated with the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the same types of anesthetic techniques used in hospitals are used in office-based surgery. Cosmetic procedures, including mole removal and liposuction, are some of the most common in-office surgical procedures.

Cosmetic

• Cosmetic surgeries that can be completed in about two hours or less, involve minimal blood loss, have a short recovery time and rely on oral medications to control post operative pain can be conducted in an office, according to the Encyclopedia of Surgery website. The removal of moles and other external skin tumors, liposuction and Botox injections are all typically conducted in a doctor's office. The financial benefits to having these types of surgeries in an office opposed to a hospital can be significant, as many health insurance policies fail to cover the costs associated with some forms of plastic surgery.

Reproductive Sterilization

• Surgeries involving the sterilization of the reproductive organs of both men and women are often performed as in-office procedures. Vasectomy surgeries for men are now often performed without the use of a scalpel, but rather with a special instrument that produces very minimal bleeding. Similarly, tubal ligation surgery for women, which closes the fallopian tubes, is often performed as an out-patient procedure under local or general anesthesia in a doctor's office.

Specialists

• Various general surgeries performed by medical specialists in the field of ophthalmology, podiatry, dentistry and otolaryngology are often performed in-office. Some of the most common operations include cataract surgery, toenail and bunion corrections and removal, and oral surgery including root canal and tonsillectomy.