General surgeons are medical doctors who are specialists of the entire surgical process: from the initial patient evaluation, through preparation, procedure and post-operative management. They employ a wide range of knowledge on a variety of diseases and conditions, and following a consultation, can determine whether surgery is required, and moreover, the type of surgery that would be most appropriate for you.

Nowadays, most general surgeons are also well versed with minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopy. Such methods involve much smaller instruments that allow them to make smaller cuts than they would with traditional procedures, ultimately, speeding up the post-operative recovery and reducing the hospital stay duration.

In most circumstances, a visit to a general surgeon would be following the referral of your general practitioner (GP). He or she may recommend you visiting a general surgeon for the following medical conditions:

• Breast lumps
• Hernias
• Kidney, pancreas and liver transplantation
• Skin lesions
• Surgical procedures of the gastrointestinal tract from the oesophagus to the anus
• Trauma to the abdomen or thorax