What is general surgery?

Premier Surgical in Fredericksburg, part of the HCA Virginia Physicians network and an affiliate of Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center, is a leading provider of comprehensive surgical care including open, laparoscopic and robotic surgery for a variety of diseases and conditions. Serving central and northern Virginia, Eric Thomas, MD, FACS, and Luan Tran, MD, FACS,, both board-certified general surgeons, treat patients of all ages for routine ailments and common surgical procedures, including dermatological issues.

What is a general surgeon?

Despite its name, general surgery is a surgical specialty in which highly-trained surgeons operate on common, and sometimes complex, conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, abdominal cavity, and other areas of the body. The American College of Surgeons defines general surgery as one of 14 surgical specialties, “having a central core of knowledge embracing anatomy, physiology, metabolism, immunology, nutrition, pathology, wound healing, shock and resuscitation, intensive care, and neoplasia, which are common to all surgical specialties.”

Following medical school, physicians apply to a surgical residency program. The first year of the program, called the internship year, is followed by at least four additional years of intensive surgical training. General surgeons must complete at least 48 months of clinical instruction, during which no more than 12 months may be spent in a single surgical specialty or 6 months in a non-surgical specialty. As a result, general surgeons become highly skilled in performing a wide range of common surgical procedures.

The primary areas of a general surgeon’s focus are the:

• Gastrointestinal tract
• Abdomen and pelvis
• Breasts, skin, and soft tissue
• Cardiovascular
• Head and neck
• Endocrine
• Cancer treatment
• Trauma
• Emergency surgery

General surgeons often are called upon in situations that require surgery on multiple areas of the body, such as trauma cases. Their broad spectrum knowledge of all surgical disciplines makes them uniquely qualified to address complex patient care. In addition, general surgeons have expertise in other related areas of medicine that may impact how a surgery is performed, including:

• Immunology
• Genetics
• Geriatrics
• Palliative care
• Bariatrics
• Diverse populations

What do general surgeons treat?

General surgeons diagnose and treat a wide range of medical conditions before, during, and after surgery, often leading a multidisciplinary team of specialists. In addition, most general surgeries use advanced, minimally invasive endoscopic, laparoscopic, and robotic techniques. If necessary, a general surgeon will refer a patient to a specialist. Typical procedures performed by a general surgeon include:

• Appendectomy
• Breast cancer including lumpectomy and mastectomy
• Cellulitis
• Colectomy and colostomy
• Dialysis access (all types)
• Endoscopic treatments
• Gallbladder removal
• Hemorrhoidectomy
• Hernia repair
• Laparotomy
• Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) treatment
• Skin grafting
• Splenectomy
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Temporal artery biopsy
• Thyroid and parathyroid disease treatment

In addition, general surgeons remove both cancerous and noncancerous dermatologic skin lesions, an important offering for patients who might otherwise have a longer wait time to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist.

What sets Premier Surgical apart?

Patients choose Premier Surgical because our team provides the highest quality care with exceptional outcomes in the Greater Fredericksburg Region. We focus on providing individualized care with quick and convenient access to our practice, often with same-day and next-day appointments. From pediatrics and adolescents to adults and geriatrics, we specialize in providing the best in surgical care for open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery.