This branch of medicine focuses on abdominal contents including alimentary canal, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix, bile ducts and more frequently, thyroid gland depending on local referral patterns. In addition, it deals with diseases related to skin, breast, soft tissue, trauma, Peripheral artery disease and hernias. Endoscopic procedures such as gastroscopy and colonoscopy are applied within the scope of general surgery.
General surgeons have superior knowledge and experience in nine main components of surgery required for education of a surgeon, including management of complications, as well as management of diagnosis, pre- and post-surgery management.