Home Contact Us Site Map
Search for:
Classes & Programs WebNursery
Health Info Find a Job Find a Physician
About St. John's Mercy
St. John's Mercy Medical Center - St. Louis
St. John's Mercy Hospital
Services and Specialties
Information for Patients
For Health Professionals
St. John's Mercy Medical Group
St. John's Mercy Health Services
St. John's Mercy Quality
Foundation
E-mail a Patient
Privacy Statement
Vendor Resources
 
Home > Health Information > Children's Health > Surgery  Printer Friendly Page Printable Version
Surgery, as defined by the American Medical Association, is the Picture of male surgeon in the operating room treatment of disease, injury, or other disorders by direct physical intervention, usually with instruments.

Surgery involves the cutting into the skin or other organ to accomplish restoring the body to a healthful state.

This may include further exploration of the condition for the purpose of diagnosis, taking a biopsy of a suspicious lump, or removing diseased tissues or organs.

In addition, it surgery may be conducted to remove an obstruction, reposition structures to their normal position, redirect channels, or transplant tissue or whole organs.

Surgery may be needed to implant mechanical or electronic devices; improve physical appearance; repair an area that has been injured or affected by trauma, overuse, or disease; restore proper function; or relieve pain.

Many children face surgery every year. Some operations are elective procedures, others are required procedures and, in some cases, surgery is an emergency response to an urgent medical condition.

The entire family should expect to go through four phases. First, surgical diagnosis is made after medical tests and evaluations reveal a condition requiring surgery. Second, the preoperative management phase begins from the time surgery is decided to the point when the patient is brought to the operating room.

Third, the intraoperative care phase lasts from the time the patient enters the operating room to when the patient goes to the recovery room. And fourth, the postoperative management phase lasts from entry to the recovery room until follow-up clinical evaluation.

Find A Doctor
Pediatrics - General

Pediatric Surgery

Departments and Services
Surgical Services

Children's Services

Topic Content
Site Index

Surgical Overview

Preoperative Management

Preparing a Child for Surgery

Surgery and the Breastfeeding Infant

The Day of Surgery

Intraoperative Care

Postoperative Care

Glossary

Online Resources

A member of the
Sisters of Mercy Health System