How many different types of surgeries do General Surgeons perform?

[atl27]

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I realize the answer the this will vary depending on several factors, but about how many different types of surgeries do General Surgeons perform once they are out of residency. I am wondering if there is a great deal of variation or if the greater specialization of surgery has limited the types of surgeries that GS's perform. Also, how does it vary by size of hospital. For example, lets say a community hospital in the suburbs vs. a large level academic teaching hospital where there are many specialists available.

 

[45408]

Yeah, the general surgeons at the community hospital I rotated at did a lot more variety than the general surgeons at the main academic center attached to my school. If there's an endocrine/oncology surgeon around, then the garden-variety general surgeon probably won't be doing lots of Whipples. One of the general surgeons I followed at the community hospital did things ranging from carotid endarterectomies to bowel resections to thyroid resections to wound debriding to moderately complex cancer cases, with a large helping of lap choles, appies, and hernias to go along. He was operating all the time it seemed.

Of course, they didn't see as many of some things - there was one AAA repair all month, no gunshot wounds, no Whipples, etc.