Surgical specialties

In all modern medical training programs, a surgeon must specialise in an area.

The exact number of recognized specialties depends on one's purpose in counting them. The following specialties are often described:


 * Cardiothoracic surgery
 * General surgery
 * Neurosurgery
 * Ophthalmic surgery
 * Oral and maxillofacial surgery
 * Orthopedic surgery
 * Otorhinolaryngology (also called Ear, Nose, and Throat; ENT)
 * Paediatric surgery
 * Plastic surgery
 * Vascular surgery
 * Urology

Specialisation
A training surgeon will typically become a doctor, then train in basic surgical technique before studying advanced surgical technique in a particular specialty.

Surgical training is one of the most difficult programs to undertake, partly because of the commitment in time and lifestyle that a practitioner must make. It is also one of the most popular training programs.

Sub-specialisation
Within each surgical specialty, there are further specialisations. For example, an orthopaedic surgeon might develop an interest in spinal surgery, whereas another might develop an interest in hand surgery.

Overlap
It is possible for two different specialties to lay claim on a particular part of the body or type of operation. For example, the following types of operation might be performed by two or more different specialists:


 * Amputation - orthopaedic surgeon or vascular surgeon
 * Hand surgery - orthopaedic surgeon or plastic surgeon
 * Nerve root decompression (spinal disc herniation repair) - neurosurgeon or orthopaedic surgeon
 * Carpal tunnel repair - neurosurgeon, general surgeon, orthopaedic surgeon, and plastic surgeon
 * and so on.