What is General Surgery?
The role of the General Surgeon varies, but in broad terms general surgery can be said to deal with a wide range of conditions within the abdomen, breast, neck, skin and, in some cases, vascular (blood vessel) system.
While the name would suggest that the focus of general surgery is to perform operations, often this is not the case. Many patients are referred to surgeons with conditions that do not need surgical procedures, but merely require counselling or medical treatment.
What is Colorectal Surgery?
The colon and the rectum are part of the digestive tract that processes the food we eat. Together they make up the large intestine or large bowel and are located in the abdomen between the small intestine and the anus. The colon is about 1.8m long and absorbs water and nutrients from food. The rectum is the last segment of the large intestine and is about 20 -25cm long. This is where waste material is stored before it passes out of the body through the anus.
A colorectal surgeon is a general surgeon who has had further training and specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus.