Elective surgery
Encyclopedia
Elective surgery is surgery
that is scheduled in advance because it does not involve a medical emergency
. Semi-elective surgery is a surgery that must be done to preserve the patient's life, but does not need to be performed immediately.
By contrast, an urgent surgery is one that can wait until the patient is medically stable, but should generally be done today or tomorrow, and an emergency
surgery is one that must be performed without delay; the patient has no choice other than immediate surgery, if he does not want to risk permanent disability or death.
Most surgeries are elective.
Cosmetic surgery, such as a facelift
or the placement of breast implants, is typically performed to subjectively improve a patient's physical appearance. Cosmetic and aesthetic surgeries are elective surgeries are pre-scheduled at a time that is mutually convenient for the patient, the surgeon, and the medical facility.
Many medically necessary surgeries are also elective surgeries. For example, cataract surgery
, mastectomy
for breast cancer, and the donation of a kidney
by a living donor are performed as elective surgeries.
In a patient with multiple medical conditions, problems classified as needing semi-elective surgeries may be postponed until emergent conditions have been addressed and the patient is medically stable. For example, whenever possible, pregnant women typically postpone all elective and semi-elective procedures until after giving birth. In some situations, an urgently needed surgery will be postponed briefly to permit even more urgent conditions to be addressed. In other situations, emergency surgery may be performed at the same time as life-saving resuscitation efforts.
Semi-elective procedures are typically scheduled within a time frame deemed appropriate for the patient's condition and disease. Removal of a malignancy, for example, is usually scheduled as semi-elective surgery, to be performed within a set number of days or weeks. Urgent surgery is typically performed with 48 hours of diagnosis. Emergency surgery is performed as soon as a surgeon is available.
Many surgeries can be performed as either elective or emergency surgeries, depending on the patient's needs. A sudden worsening of gallbladder disease
may require immediate removal of the gallbladder by emergency surgery, but this surgery is more commonly scheduled in advance.
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
that is scheduled in advance because it does not involve a medical emergency
Medical emergency
A medical emergency is an injury or illness that is acute and poses an immediate risk to a person's life or long term health. These emergencies may require assistance from another person, who should ideally be suitably qualified to do so, although some of these emergencies can be dealt with by the...
. Semi-elective surgery is a surgery that must be done to preserve the patient's life, but does not need to be performed immediately.
By contrast, an urgent surgery is one that can wait until the patient is medically stable, but should generally be done today or tomorrow, and an emergency
Emergency
An emergency is a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or environment. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation, although in some situations, mitigation may not be possible and agencies may only be able to offer palliative...
surgery is one that must be performed without delay; the patient has no choice other than immediate surgery, if he does not want to risk permanent disability or death.
Most surgeries are elective.
Types
Elective surgeries include all optional surgeries performed for non-medical reasons, i.e., cosmetic surgery. They also include most surgeries necessary for medical reasons.Cosmetic surgery, such as a facelift
Facelift
Facelift is the common name for rhytidectomy, a cosmetic surgery procedure.Facelift may also refer to:* Facelift , the revival of a product through cosmetic means such as changing its appearance...
or the placement of breast implants, is typically performed to subjectively improve a patient's physical appearance. Cosmetic and aesthetic surgeries are elective surgeries are pre-scheduled at a time that is mutually convenient for the patient, the surgeon, and the medical facility.
Many medically necessary surgeries are also elective surgeries. For example, cataract surgery
Cataract surgery
Cataract surgery is the removal of the natural lens of the eye that has developed an opacification, which is referred to as a cataract. Metabolic changes of the crystalline lens fibers over time lead to the development of the cataract and loss of transparency, causing impairment or loss of vision...
, mastectomy
Mastectomy
Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. Mastectomy is usually done to treat breast cancer; in some cases, women and some men believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operation prophylactically, that is, to prevent cancer...
for breast cancer, and the donation of a kidney
Kidney transplantation
Kidney transplantation or renal transplantation is the organ transplant of a kidney into a patient with end-stage renal disease. Kidney transplantation is typically classified as deceased-donor or living-donor transplantation depending on the source of the donor organ...
by a living donor are performed as elective surgeries.
Increasing urgency
When a condition is worsening, but has not yet reached the point of a true emergency, surgeons speak of semi-elective surgery: the peccant part must be dealt with, but a delay is not expected to affect the outcome.In a patient with multiple medical conditions, problems classified as needing semi-elective surgeries may be postponed until emergent conditions have been addressed and the patient is medically stable. For example, whenever possible, pregnant women typically postpone all elective and semi-elective procedures until after giving birth. In some situations, an urgently needed surgery will be postponed briefly to permit even more urgent conditions to be addressed. In other situations, emergency surgery may be performed at the same time as life-saving resuscitation efforts.
Semi-elective procedures are typically scheduled within a time frame deemed appropriate for the patient's condition and disease. Removal of a malignancy, for example, is usually scheduled as semi-elective surgery, to be performed within a set number of days or weeks. Urgent surgery is typically performed with 48 hours of diagnosis. Emergency surgery is performed as soon as a surgeon is available.
Many surgeries can be performed as either elective or emergency surgeries, depending on the patient's needs. A sudden worsening of gallbladder disease
Gallbladder disease
Gallbladder diseases are diseases involving the gallbladder.Gallstones may develop in the gallbladder as well as elsewhere in the biliary tract...
may require immediate removal of the gallbladder by emergency surgery, but this surgery is more commonly scheduled in advance.