List Archives

Mon, 21 Jan 2002 12:47:00 -0000

> And the endoscopist manipulates a 
> tube through the 
> gastrointestinal tract. Are they not all surgery? It is my 
> understanding that 
> surgery is defined at its most elemental level as "the 
> treatment of disease 
> through instrumentation or manipulation". Cutting is not essential to 
> surgery. 

Of course, getting back to the derivations of the words, surgery is anything
you do with your hands- whether or not it treats disease.

> > Let's be clear here--LAPAROSCOPY, like LAPAROTOMY, is 
> > visualizing--sure--under general anesthesia thru incisions 
> in the abdomen 
> > in the operating room by a surgeon (because--it is 
> surgery!), using--dare 
> > we say it--our own eyes, rahter than digitalized pixels!  

And equally, laparotomy is the act of cutting open. Whether you actually get
round to looking inside or just avert your eyes and head off for a cuppa is
irrelevant to the laparotomy. It is only laparoscopy that involves any
activity of the visual cortex.

The debates are:
1. Can you pick up hypovolaemia on a CT?
Yes 
(although sensitivity and specificity are debatable)

2. Should you treat hypovolaemia purely on CT images?
No.

3. Can we agree on definitions of 'surgery', 'imaging', 'penetrating
trauma'?
No

4. Does this disagreement have any relevance to direct patient care?
Probably not.

Matt Dunn

This email has been scanned for viruses by NAI AVD however we are unable to
accept responsibility for any damage caused by the contents.
The opinions expressed in this email represent the views of the sender, not
South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust unless explicitly stated.
If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender.

List Archives

For your convenience, find the Trauma List Archive Below

I can be more pedantic than you can (was: Pelvic/Abdominal T rauma)