Symptomatic surgery

We can distinguish between symptomatic and aetiological surgery. Symptomatic surgery includes operations, which remove the symptoms of a disease or at least palliate them albeit without removing their underlying pathology. On the other hand aetiological surgery means the curative removal of a pathol...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inTherapeutische Umschau Vol. 63; no. 3; p. 174
Main Author Huber, A K
Format Journal Article
LanguageGerman
Published Switzerland 01.03.2006
Subjects
Anastomosis, Surgical
Arterial Occlusive Diseases - surgery
Humans
Palliative Care
Pancreatic Neoplasms - surgery
Pancreaticoduodenectomy
Pancreatitis - surgery
Surgical Procedures, Operative
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Summary:We can distinguish between symptomatic and aetiological surgery. Symptomatic surgery includes operations, which remove the symptoms of a disease or at least palliate them albeit without removing their underlying pathology. On the other hand aetiological surgery means the curative removal of a pathology. It can be argued that any type of a surgery is symptomatic in nature, but that a part of the symptomatic surgery is curative as well. In addition to symptomatic and curative surgery, we also apply prophylactic surgery. Prophylactic surgery constitutes a controverse chapter. The question is whether an indication for prophylactic surgery does exist. One can argue, that it is difficult to improve the life of a well being patient by operating on him. On the other hand the question is whether it would not be more intelligent to improve the condition of a patient by removing the pathological aspects before symptoms appear. In addition, a pathological situation should not be allowed to progress to the stage where neither surgery nor conservative treatment offer sufficient benefit to patients.
ISSN:0040-5930