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    surgery

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    surgery
    sur‧ge‧ry S2 W2 /ˈsɜːdʒəri $ ˈsɜːr-/ noun (plural surgeries)
     Date: 1300-1400
     Language: Old French
     Origin: cirurgie, from Latin, from Greek cheirourgia, from cheirourgos 'working with the hand', from cheir 'hand' + ergon 'work'
    1. [uncountable] medical treatment in which a surgeon cuts open your body to repair or remove something inside ⇨ operation
        surgery on
        She required surgery on her right knee.
        surgery for
        He underwent surgery for lung cancer.
        in surgery
        She was in surgery for two hours Thursday. ⇨ cosmetic surgery, plastic surgery
    2. [uncountable] especially American English the place where operations are done in a hospital
       SYN  operating room American English, theatre British English:
        Dr. Hanson is in surgery.
    3. [countable] British English a place where a doctor or dentist gives treatment
       SYN  office American English
    4. [uncountable] British English a regular period each day when people can see a doctor or dentist
       SYN  office hours American English:
        Surgery is from 9 am to 1 pm on weekdays.
    5. [countable] British English a special period of time when people can see a Member of Parliament to discuss problems
         
    COLLOCATIONS
    ■ verbs
       ▪ have surgery Leslie had surgery on her toe last year.
       ▪ undergo surgery formal (=have surgery) He underwent surgery to remove a bullet from his chest. | There are risks if you choose to undergo surgery.
       ▪ do/carry out surgery (also perform surgery formal) A San Antonio doctor has volunteered to perform the surgery at no cost.
       ▪ need surgery (also require surgery formal) He is likely to need surgery in the near future.
    ■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + surgery
       ▪ successful The surgery was successful and he’s recovering well.
       ▪ major/minor surgery He will require major surgery to remove the lump. | The President will undergo minor surgery today to remove a small growth from his finger.
       ▪ heart/knee/brain etc surgery She is now fit again after knee surgery.
       ▪ emergency surgery (=done quickly, in an emergency) The teenager underwent emergency surgery after a bullet pierced her lung.
       ▪ cosmetic/plastic surgery (=surgery to improve someone’s appearance) More and more people are choosing to have plastic surgery.
       ▪ laser surgery (=surgery done using a laser) The doctor suggested laser surgery to improve her sight.
       ▪ keyhole surgery (=surgery done through a very small hole in the skin) The operation will be done using keyhole surgery.
       ▪ elective surgery formal (=surgery that is not necessary, but you choose to have) There are often long waiting times for elective surgery.
    ■ COMMON ERRORS
        ► Do not say 'make surgery'. For a doctor, say perform surgery or carry out surgery. For the patient, say have surgery or undergo surgery.
         
    THESAURUS
       ▪ operation noun [countable] the process of cutting into someone’s body to repair or remove a part that is damaged: He had an operation to remove a blood clot from his brain.
       ▪ procedure noun [countable] an operation performed in a particular way on a particular part of the body. Procedure is used especially in medical English, for example by doctors and people who work in hospitals. In everyday English people usually say operation: a common surgical procedure | The procedure normally only takes a few minutes.
       ▪ transplant noun [countable] an operation to remove an organ from one person’s body and put it into another person’s body: There is a shortage of donors for heart transplants. | She had to have a kidney transplant.
       ▪ surgery noun [uncountable] medical treatment involving an operation: She required surgery on her right knee. | He was taken in for surgery.
       ▪ plastic surgery noun [uncountable] surgery to improve someone’s appearance: The singer has just had plastic surgery on her nose.
       ▪ bypass noun [countable] an operation to make someone’s blood flow past a part of their heart that is blocked or damaged, often using a vein that has been removed from another part of their body: He went into hospital for a triple heart bypass.
       ▪ skin graft an operation to repair an area of skin that has been badly damaged, especially using skin from another part of someone’s body: Her leg was severely burned and may require a skin graft.