O

open surgery Any surgical OPERATIONin which
the surgeon makes an incision that allows direct
access to the operative site. An open surgery inci-
sion may be quite large. Until the emergence of
MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGERYprocedures in the 1980s
open surgery was the standard of surgical treat-
ment for nearly all operations. Surgeons today can
perform many operations with minimally invasive
techniques, reserving open surgery for circum-
stances in which the surgeon needs the broad
exposure open surgery provides. Such circum-
stances include OPEN HEART SURGERYfor operations
such as CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT(CABG) and
heart valve replacement, open THORACOTOMY for
operations on the LUNGS, open laparotomy for
major operations on the structures of the
abdomen such as the GALLBLADDERand intestines,
and ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION. Common risks of any
surgery include bleeding and INFECTION, which are
somewhat more likely with open surgery than

with minimally invasive surgery. As well, recovery

and recuperation take longer with open surgery,

generally 4 to 12 weeks, depending on the type of

operation. Open surgery may also leave a more

noticeable SCARafter HEALING.

See also ANESTHESIA; LASER SURGERY; SURGERY BEN-

EFIT AND RISK ASSESSMENT.

operation A surgical procedure to enter the

body and conduct a repair, remove a tumor, or in

some other way alter a structure or organ. A sur-

gical operation takes place under sterile conditions

in a controlled environment, an operating room,

used exclusively for surgery. Minor operations

may take place in AMBULATORY SURGERYcenters and

specialized surgical clinics; major operations take

place in hospitals that have sophisticated facilities

and experienced staff to provide care before, dur-

ing, and after surgery. Though traditionally the

term surgeryhas applied to the medical specialty of

268

COMMON SURGICAL OPERATIONS

Surgical Operation Purpose
adenoidectomy remove chronically infected and enlarged adenoids

APPENDECTOMY remove an inflamed or infected APPENDIX

ATHERECTOMY remove ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUEdeposits from within arteries

BLEPHAROPLASTY repair or reconstruction of the eyelids

CHOLECYSTECTOMY remove the GALLBLADDER

colectomy remove part or all of the COLON

COLOSTOMY create a passage from colon through the abdominal wall