General surgery, despite its name, is a surgical subspecialty that primarily focuses on abdominal organs and the intestines including esophagus, stomach, colon, liver, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland (depending on the availability of head and neck surgery specialists). This encompasses a wide range of procedures including appendectomies and hernia repair to lung volume reduction surgery and thyroidectomy.

This website includes a basic explanation of many commonly-performed general surgeries. These procedure overviews describe the typical situation; however, every patient and each surgery is unique. Your physician or nurse can provide additional details on your individual circumstances.