The American Board of Surgery (ABS) was established in January 1937, receiving its formal charter in July of that year. The American Surgical Association had created a committee with representatives from other surgical societies with the goal of putting together a certification procedure for individual surgeons. The main reasons for this were protection of the general public and enhancement in that specific field of medicine. At that time, the Advisory Board of Medical Specialties was the governing body that had the power to decide which specialty field was suitable for certification and which was not. Today the American Board of Surgery (ABS) operates independently as a non-profit organization with the main job is of certifying surgeons who have the required qualification in terms of education, training and knowledge; have at least five years practical training; and have successfully passed all examinations. Currently, it has jurisdiction over general, pediatric, vascular surgeries, post surgical critical care and hand surgery. Surgery is of two types: outpatient surgery and inpatient surgery. Outpatient, as the name suggests, does not involve a hospital stay and is usually conducted in the doctor's office or clinic. Inpatient surgery requires the patient to be admitted to the hospital a day prior to the operation and to stay for a certain period after the operation. The most important thing to look for when surgery seems inevitable is a good surgeon.. Ensure that he has the necessary board certification and has hospital privileges if he is an independent doctor. It is not easy to become a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. If the surgeon has these letters behind his name, they speak volumes about his ability as a surgeon. |
