Elective Surgery

Definition

An elective surgery is a planned, non-emergency surgical procedure. It may be either medically required (e.g., cataract surgery), or optional (e.g., breast augmentation or implant) surgery.

Purpose

Elective surgeries may extend life or improve the quality of life physically and/or psychologically. Cosmetic and reconstructive procedures, such as a facelift (rhytidectomy), tummy tuck (abdominoplasty), or nose surgery (rhinoplasty) may not be medically indicated, but they may benefit the patient in terms of raising self-esteem. Other procedures, such as cataract surgery, improve functional quality of life even though they are technically an "optional" or elective procedure.

Some elective procedures are necessary to prolong life, such as an angioplasty. However, unlike emergency surgery (e.g., appendectomy), which must be performed immediately, a required elective procedure can be scheduled at the patient's and surgeon's convenience.

Demographics

According to the National Center for Health Statistics of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in 2000 over 40 million inpatient surgical procedures were performed in the United States. Ambulatory surgery accounted for 31.5 million procedures in 1996, the most recent year for which CDC data is available. Statistically, women were more likely to have surgery, accounting for 58% of ambulatory and inpatient procedures. This data includes both emergency and elective procedures.

Description

There are literally hundreds of elective surgeries spanning all the systems of the body in modern medical practice. Several major categories of common elective procedures include:

• Plastic surgery. Cosmetic or reconstructive surgery that improves appearance and in some cases, physical function.
• Refractive surgery. Laser surgery for vision correction.
• Gynecological surgery. Either medically necessary or optional surgery (e.g., hysterectomy, tubal ligation).
• Exploratory or diagnostic surgery. Surgery to determine the origin and extent of a medical problem, or to biopsy tissue samples.
• Cardiovascular surgery. Non-emergency procedures to improve blood flow or heart function, such as angioplasty or the implantation of a pacemaker.
• Musculoskeletal system surgery. Orthopedic surgical procedures, such as hip replacement and ACL reconstruction.

Content
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Author Info: Paula Ford-Martin, The Gale Group Inc., Gale, Detroit, Gale Encyclopedia of Surgery, 2004

This feature is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the care and information received from your healthcare provider. Please consult a healthcare professional with any health concerns you may have.