A hernia exists where part of the abdominal wall is weakened, and the contents of the abdomen push through to the outside. This is most commonly seen in the groin area but can occur in other places. Surgical treatment is usually quite straightforward and involves returning the abdominal contents to the inside and then reinforcing the abdominal wall in some way.

General surgery covers some disorders of the liver and biliary system. The most common of these is pain caused by gallstones. These are formed if the gallbladder is not working properly, and the standard treatment is to remove the gallbladder (cholecystectomy). This procedure is usually performed using a laparoscopic (keyhole) approach.

Laparoscopic: several small incisions (cuts) are made in the abdomen and a narrow tube with a tiny camera attached (laparoscope) is inserted. This allows the surgeon a view of the colon (also called bowel or large intestine) and, by inserting small surgical instruments through the other cuts, part or all of the colon can be removed. The two healthy ends of the colon are stitched back together (resected). Open: an abdominal incision is made and part or all of the colon is removed.

Laparoscopic: several small incisions (cuts) are made in the abdomen (stomach) and a narrow tube with a tiny camera attached (laparoscope) is inserted. This allows the surgeon to view the rectum and, by inserting small surgical instruments through the other cuts, part or all of the rectum can be removed. Open: an abdominal incision is made and part or all of the rectum removed.

Conditions of the gut dealt with by general surgery include disorders of the oesophagus, stomach, small bowel, large bowel and anus. These range from complex conditions such as ulceration or cancer in the bowel through to fairly minor conditions such as haemorrhoids. Many of the more major conditions such as bowel cancer will require surgery, or sometimes treatment with medication, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Haemorrhoids are a condition where the veins under the lining of the anus are congested and enlarged. Less severe haemorrhoids can be managed with simple treatments such as injection or banding which can be performed in the clinic while larger ones will require surgery.

Skin conditions dealt with by general surgery include lumps, tumours and other lesions of the skin and underlying tissues. These are often fairly simple conditions that can be dealt with by performing minor operations under local anaesthetic (the area of skin being treated is numbed). Often these procedures are performed as outpatient or day case procedures.

Abnormalities of the endocrine system treated by general surgery include disorders of the pancreas and adrenal glands in the abdomen and the thyroid and parathyroid glands in the neck. These are often very complex conditions requiring extensive investigations. If surgery is required it is often quite complicated and will usually mean a stay in hospital for several days or even longer.