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What to Expect From Emergency Surgery

By , About.com Guide

Updated: January 04, 2009

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What is Emergency Surgery?

Three surgeons working in surgery/OR

Three Surgeons In Surgery

Image: © Janice Airey/Getty Images

An emergency surgery is a procedure that must be performed immediately, and without which a patient could be permanently harmed or die. Examples of emergency surgeries include less serious surgeries like an appendectomy or a fixation of a broken bone. More serious surgeries include attempting to stop massive bleeding after a gunshot wound or repairing a brain aneurysm, which is causing the brain to fill with blood.

In some cases the patient will go to the Emergency Department with a complaint of pain or feeling “not quite right” and not realize they are very ill. For the obviously injured, an ambulance may be called to transport a patient who is badly injured or not breathing. A patient who is transported by an ambulance will be assessed and care will be started immediately by paramedics or other trained emergency medical personnel.

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