8^th World Congress on Surgery and Anaesthesia July 23-24, 2018 Lisbon, Portugal

Cardiovascular surgeons perform Heart surgery by the implantation of ventricular assist devices (VADs) that support the failing heart by helping to pump blood. Cardiovascular surgery is a medical speciality which includes different types of operations, like heart defect repair, coronary artery bypass, aneurysm repair, heart transplantation and also implants medical devices that help control the heartbeat. Traditional heart surgery, known as open-heart surgery, is done by opening the chest wall to operate on the heart, whereas newer procedures have developed like off-pump, or “beating heart surgery” wherein the heart isn't stopped, and a heart-lung bypass machine isn't used.

Neurosurgery, colloquially referred to as "brain surgery" does not stop with surgery of brain alone. It expands to deal with prevention, diagnosis, evaluation, treatment of brain, spinal cord and spinal column, and peripheral nerves within all parts of the body. A neurosurgeon assists patients suffering from back and neck pain as well. Neural disorders range from tremor, dystonia to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and thus a neurosurgeon requires extensive knowledge of the complex organs, operative and non-operative management (critical care and rehabilitation) and has to perform the procedure with utmost concentration.

Minimally invasive surgery allows surgeons to reduce the number of cuts and does not have any invasive procedure as open surgery does. The two types of minimally invasive surgery include Laparoscopy and Robotic surgery. Laparoscopy, popularly known as “keyhole surgery”, is the first type of minimally invasive procedure developed. The procedure involves just introducing a camera and a catheter into the patient’s body and thus the surgeon performs the surgery. In Robotic surgery, doctors have greater control and vision (high-definition 3-D image on the console) and thus can operate with precision, flexibility. Some of the remarkable benefits of this procedure includes small incision, less pain, low risk of infection, short hospital stay, quick recovery time, less scarring and reduced blood loss. Some of the conditions that can be treated by this procedure include kidney stones, kidney cysts, atrial septal defect, hernias, severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and many more.

Obesity, which has become common due to modern lifestyle, has become one of the significant reasons for diabetes, hypertension and mortality. So people began switching on to options like weight-loss devices, which has several side effects. Now days, Bariatric surgery, also known as “weight loss surgery”, is performed on people who have obesity (BMI more than 40). The surgery is found to show significant loss of weight, recovery from comorbidities like arthritis, high Blood Pressure, high Cholesterol, diabetes, and mortality. The surgery is performed using minimally invasive techniques (laparoscopic surgery). This surgery restricts the amount of food consumed, increases energy expenditure and produces changes in gut hormones reducing appetite and enhances satiety. Bariatric surgeons may perform any of the three procedures: laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, gastric sleeve surgery or gastric bypass.

The overall health of the eyes is critical to lead an active life. Eyes are fragile organ that requires extreme care before, during, and after a surgical procedure. Hence, the ophthalmologists work extends from lens prescription, standard medical treatment to the delicate and precise surgical manipulations of the eyes. Ophthalmic surgery also known as “Ocular surgery” is used to treat eye disorders like cataract, macular degeneration, strabismus and many more. Now days, advanced procedures like Laser treatment is used to treat non-refractive conditions or to reshape the surface of the eye.

Paediatric surgery is performed starting from infants to young adults. Sometimes children are born with congenital malformations, abdominal wall defects, chest wall deformities, tumours. Often complex surgeries are performed on children with these disabilities, to improve their standard of living. Separation of conjoined twins also comes under this branch of surgery. Subspecialties of paediatric surgery include neonatal surgery, paediatric urology and paediatric oncology. General Paediatric surgery includes management of common problems like hernias, circumcision or undescended testis. Emergency procedures like appendectomy, correction for the narrowing of the opening between the stomach and the intestine is also performed by paediatric surgeons.

Plastic surgery is claimed to be performed for “The Correction of Featural Imperfection”. It helps either in the restoration, or in the reconstruction of the human body. In the reconstructive surgery, procedures like craniofacial surgery, hand surgery, microsurgery, and the treatment of burns are done, to improve function. In the other is cosmetic or aesthetic surgery, is done to improve the appearance, to approximate normal appearance. The most common surgical procedures include breast reconstruction, cleft lip and palate surgery, contracture surgery for burn survivors, and creating a new outer ear when one is congenitally absent.

The spectrum of cases treated under trauma & orthopaedics includes diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system that includes the bones and soft tissues. Trauma can be from low energy fractures (elderly patients) to multiple injuries, as those caused by a road accident. The T&O is divided into several categories like joint reconstruction, orthopaedic oncology, paediatric surgery, spinal surgery, sports injury surgery, complex trauma surgery and acute management of fractures. The reconstructive procedures are commonly performed on conditions like non unions, malunions, and osteomyelitis.

This discipline deals with treating disorders affecting the entire craniomaxillofacial complex. The various types of surgeries performed include cosmetic facial surgery, maxillofacial regeneration, micro vascular reconstruction, corrective jaw surgery, craniofacial surgery, paediatric maxillofacial surgery and cleft surgery. Tooth extractions are the most common procedure that the oral surgeons perform. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons deal with the non-surgical management of conditions such as facial pain, oral mucosal disease and infections. One of the most significant aspects of the surgery is to improve beauty and self-esteem. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons work with patients of all ages- from the new born to the elderly people.

The otolaryngologists are commonly referred to as to as “ENT physicians”. They deal with the disorders and congenital defects of the ears, nose, sinuses, larynx (voice box), mouth, and throat, and even the structures of the neck and face. One of the most unique domains of otolaryngologists is the treatment of ear disorders. ENT physicians are trained to manage and treat ear infections, balance disorders, tinnitus, cranial nerve disorder, balance disorders, allergies, sinusitis, polyps, and nasal obstruction due to a deviated septum. They can also correct the appearance of the nose as is the case of rhinoplasty surgery.

Urology surgeons or urologists deal with the problems related to genitourinary surgery, urinary-tract system and the male reproductive organs (including kidney, adrenal gland, ureter, bladder, prostate, lymph nodes). The common disorders that are observed are urinary-tract infections and benign prostatic hyperplasia, bladder or prostate cancer, kidney stones and some congenital abnormalities. Usually most of the urological procedures require large incisions with lengthy hospitalization and recovery. But the modern procedures like the ones including minimally invasive surgery and the robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy or Da Vinci radical prostatectomy, have reported to provide better visualization and better control to the surgeons.

Transplantation surgery is one of the most challenging areas of modern medicine, wherein an organ is removed from one body and placed in a recipient’s body, to replace a damaged or missing organ. Several problems like end-stage renal disease, heart failure, congenital cardiac structural defects, cystic fibrosis and emphysema cannot be treated completely without any surgery or medication. Hence, with the advances in surgical techniques and drugs to prevent infection and rejection, organ transplantation has now been recognized as the most effective treatment for many non-curable diseases. Some of the organs that can be transplanted include kidneys, livers, hearts, lungs, pancreas, small intestine. Recently, faces, tracheal (windpipe) tissue, and penises are also found to be transplantable. There are distinct parameters for the eligiblity for transplantation of organs and also the organ donors may be living, dead or brain dead. 

This area focuses on the efforts to provide a more consistent and efficient care for patients requiring emergent surgical procedure in the near future. The most commonly observed conditions are perforations of the gastrointestinal tract, skin structure infections, acute appendicitis, acute cholecystitis and infections of the liver and bile ducts, and bowel obstructions. This is a multispecialty area comprising of surgeons treating burns, trauma surgery, emergency general surgery and provide supportive care in the intensive care unit..  The scope of service encompasses trauma, surgical critical care, emergency general surgery, burn critical care, surgical nutrition support, and surgical infectious diseases. Acute Care Service takes care of patients with severe illness caused due to infections, pain due to complex surgical procedures, and for those who had organ transplants.  

These surgeons in this field have special knowledge, skills and professional capability to treat disorders affecting the female reproductive organs- vagina, the uterus, the ovaries, and the fallopian tubes. Some of the common conditions that adversely affect women health are ovarian cysts, vaginitis, menorrhagia, and menopause and mood disorders. Obstetrics deals with pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, while Gynaecology deals with the general health care for women and treating conditions like maternal-fetal medicine, reproductive endocrinology and infertility. 

Computer aided surgery (CAS) also referred to as computer-assisted intervention, image-guided surgery and surgical navigation, is a major surgical breakthrough in the recent years. This procedure assists the surgeons to exploit computer technology for surgical planning, followed by image analysis and processing, diagnosis and surgical simulation. Primarily the accurate model of the patient is obtained by techniques like CT, MRI, x-rays, ultrasound, and then the surgeons decide for the kind of procedure to be handled. This procedure has enhanced the areas of spine surgery, neurosurgery, hip replacement surgery and ENT surgery.

Whether surgical oncology is a medical specialty is one of the topics of a heated debate. It is included as a branch of surgery that focuses on the management of cancer or tumour. The Ewing Society (known as Society of Surgical Oncology) was started by surgeons interested in the field of oncology. It comprises of a multidisciplinary team that provides intense care to treat cancer. The surgeons are backed up with evidence-informed supportive therapies to help patients manage side effects, maintain energy and stay strong.