AT A GLANCE BY JEANNIE NUSS SURGICAL SPECIALTIES A look at some of the types of surgery performed today Ever have someone tell you he's having surgery soon? If he doesn't offer any details-and, of course, it's rude to ask-you really have no idea what's going to happen in the operating room. After all, we use the term "surgery" to mean so many procedures. The American College of Surgeons recognizes 14 surgical specialties: * Colon and rectal surgery * Orthopedic surgery * General surgery * Otolaryngologic surgery * Gynecologic oncology * Pediatric surgery * Neurologic surgery * Plastic and maxillofacial * Obstetric and gynecologic surgery * Thoracic surgery surgery * Ophthalmic surgery * Urologic surgery * Oral and maxillofacial surgery * Vascular surgery These specialties cover everything from heart surgery (part of thoracic surgery) to cataract surgery (part of ophthalmic surgery). And as technology has transformed medicine over the past century, many of the specialties now include additional subspecialties, says Frank Lewis, MD, executive director of the American Board of Surgery. "The procedures that are common to a given specialty have gotten increasingly sophisticated over time, and the level of experience and training needed to perform them competently has gotten even more complicated," Lewis says. Read on to learn about some of the ways to operate. WEBSITE Surgery Glossary Learn more about the basics of surgery and find a guide to surgical specialists at medlineplus.gov/surgery.html. 44 FA L L 2017http://www.medlineplus.gov/surgery.html