Minor surgeries refer to those that are minimally invasive and do not pose a serious risk to the patient’s life. This means that the patient will not be subject to any kind of permanent physical or mental damage following the surgical procedure. Typically, minor surgeries can be safely and effectively be performed in an outpatient setting using local anesthetic in the area treated via injected solution or topical cream.
Examples of minor surgeries include laparoscopy, initial stitching of a wound or removal of stitches, removal of foreign objects from various parts of the body that are visible to the eye, cyst drainage, biopsies, dental work, cataract surgery, circumcision, arthroscopy, removal of skin affected by a burn, wart removal, skin cancer excisions, and other surgeries in which there is no need for general anesthesia or respiratory assistance during the procedure.
Most minor surgeries can be done within an hour, although time frames will vary depending on the exact surgical procedure. A minor surgery differs from a major surgery in that there is no major trauma or damage done to the underlying tissue, no risk of infection, no appearance of large and unsightly scars, and a much shorter recovery period after the surgery has been completed.
Major surgeries involve large, more extensive openings into the body, whereas minor surgeries typically only need a small incision made in order for the doctor to insert medical tools and/or a small camera that assists in the completion of the procedure at hand. Some minor surgeries do not even require an incision to be made at all. These procedures, referred to as superficial, are performed on the body, rather than in the body. Overall, a minor surgery is not a high-risk surgery, and it does not require a visit to the hospital or emergency room.
