It's Not Brain Surgery! Trivia Quiz

Answer: laparoscopic surgery

Versus an open operation there are some advantages, less pain because of smaller incisions and bleeding, and shorter recovery time. The most common procedure in laparoscopic surgery is cholecystectomy. In this procedure, 5 to 10 millimeter diameter instruments such as graspers, scissors, and clip appliers can be put, by the surgeon, into the abdomen.

The clip appliers are put into the abdomen through hollow tubes called trocars.

Answer: elective surgery

Breast implants are an example of elective surgery. Some consider hip replacements as elective surgery, particularly nations and health care providers. Although a bad hip can cripple the patient, the condition can never be fatal.

Answer: amputation

Amputation of the hands or feet was sometimes used as a punishment for criminals. Around 65% of amputees experience phantom limbs, which means they feel body parts that aren't there. In an amputation, the first thing that a surgeon does is to ligate the artery or vein that the limb has in it.

When an artery or vein is ligated, a piece of thread is tied around it, to make sure the artery or vein doesn't bleed. Finally, the bone is cut through with a reciprocating saw.

Answer: Microsurgery

The term was coined in 1960 by Jules Jacobson of the University of Vermont. The first big toe to thumb transplant was performed in April 1968 by Mr. John Cobbett, in England. Plastic surgeons developed the microsurgical techniques used today. Now many surgeries use techniques of microsurgery. Ear, nose, and throat doctors perform microsurgery on the inner ear or the vocal cords. Face and jaw surgeons and ear and throat surgeons, when reconstructing head and neck cancer patients, often use microsurgery.

Answer: plastic surgery

Reconstructive plastic surgery is usually performed to improve function, but it may be performed to make a normal appearance. Another type of plastic surgery, commonly called cosmetic surgery, is done to "enhance" a person's looks through surgical and medical techniques. In 2006 11,000,000 procedures were performed in the United States, and that number went up to 12,000,000 in 2007.

Answer: laser surgery

One technique in laser surgery is laser resurfacing, where molecular bonds of the tissue are dissolved by a laser. Eyes are the most common recipients of laser surgery. LASIK is a common technique, which is used to correct near and far-sightedness in vision. Green laser surgery treats and shrinks enlarged prostates. Recovery for green laser surgery takes very little time.

Answer: oral and maxillofacial surgery

All of the major dental associations in the U.S.A., the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand recognize oral and maxillofacial surgery as one of 9 dental specialties. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons treat the entire craniomaxillofacial complex, which is the mouth, jaws, face, and the skull. Cosmetic surgery in the head and neck can be performed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons.

Answer: excision

An excision is also called a resection and completely removes an organ, tumor, or tissue. Another thing that could have been done is a biopsy, which removes a tumor and not much healthy tissue. Excision means: to remove by cutting.

Answer: angioplasty

The technique is mechanically widening a blood vessel that is narrow or blocked. This is done by putting tightly folded balloons into the small and not very wide parts. Then the balloons are inflated to a pre-determined size. The water pressure is the same as 6 to 20 Earth atmospheres.

Answer: exploratory surgery

Exploratory surgery is done in animals more than in humans, because animals cannot voice their symptoms as easily as humans can. It is done after bloodwork and tests reveal nothing out of the ordinary. In humans, the most common use is to locate cancer where normal tests can't find it.