General surgery can be performed on almost any area of the body. A general surgeon is a physician who performs surgery and provides preoperative, operative, and postoperative care to surgical patients. This surgeon can treat diseases, injuries or deformities by surgery or minimally invasive techniques, such as endoscopy, where a tiny scope is used to view internal organs or structures. The endoscope can be used during operating procedures, or before surgery, to diagnose, assess and treat problem areas.

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are breast disease, thyroid disorders, hernia, breast cancer, Crohn's Disease, cystic fibrosis, Cirrhosis, Hepatitis, lymphoma, Chronic renal failure, Morbid obesity, Adhesions, Colorectal cancer, Hirschsprung's disease, Volvulus, Thyroid cancer, Kidney cancer, Metastatic disease, Toxic megacolon, and Meckel's diverticulum.

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including microsurgery, mastectomy, laser surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery, breast reconstruction, breast surgery, thyroid surgery, Laparoscopic Surgery, da Vinci Surgical System, Bypass Surgery, robotic surgery, Resection, Liver transplant, Whipple procedure, Kidney transplant, Bariatric surgery, Appendectomy, Cholecystectomy, cryosurgery, and abdominal surgery.

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including endoscopy, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), x-ray, Computed Axial Tomography (CT or CAT Scan), Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), biopsy, Cardiac Stress Test, Lower GI (Barium Enema), Upper GI (Barium Swallow), and fecal occult bloodtest.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. Alabama has 400 practicing general surgeons. Broken out by city, general surgery doctor density in Alabaster is 8, in Albertville is 2, in Alexander City is 3, in Aliceville is 1, in Andalusia is 2, in Anniston is 13, in Arab is 1, in Athens is 3, in Atmore is 3, in Bay Minette is 2, in Bessemer is 4, in Birmingham is 115, in Boaz is 3, in Brewton is 4, in Centre is 4, in Centreville is 1, in Clanton is 2, in Cullman is 6, in Dadeville is 2, in Daleville is 1, in Daphne is 2, in Decatur is 9, in Demopolis is 1, in Dothan is 9, in Enterprise is 6, in Eufaula is 3, in Evergreen is 3, in Fairhope is 5, in Fayette is 1, in Florence is 6, in Foley is 4, in Fort Payne is 3, in Gadsden is 8, in Gardendale is 2, in Geneva is 1, in Greenville is 3, in Guntersville is 6, in Haleyville is 2, in Hamilton is 2, in Hartselle is 4, in Huntsville is 24, in Jackson is 1, in Jasper is 4, in Madison is 6, in Mobile is 45, in Monroeville is 2, in Montgomery is 28, in Mount Vernon is 2, in Mountain Brook is 1, in Muscle Shoals is 4, in Opelika is 9, in Opp is 2, in Ozark is 1, in Parrish is 1, in Pelham is 1, in Phenix City is 6, in Prattville is 2, in Red Bay is 2, in Roanoke is 1, in Robertsdale is 1, in Rogersville is 1, in Russellville is 2, in Scottsboro is 2, in Selma is 7, in Sheffield is 4, in Sulligent is 1, in Sylacauga is 4, in Talladega is 5, in Tallassee is 4, in Thomasville is 1, in Troy is 5, in Tuscaloosa is 14, in Valley is 1, in Wetumpka is 1, and in Winfield is 2.

Montgomery is the capital city of this southern state, though Birmingham is its largest city. Population in 2005 was 4,557,808. Alabama is the birthplace of historical figures Hank Aaron, Helen Keller, and George Washington Carver. Take an airboat tour on the Mobile river delta, see the Alabama Civil Rights museum in Mantua, or tour the Jazz Hall of Fame in Birmingham. Visit the Shakespeare Festival Theater Complex in Montgomery, or play a round of golf at one of Alabama’s many acclaimed courses. From the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the state’s north to the Gulf coast beaches in the south, Alabama’s scenery includes a varied and diverse landscape.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Alabama has a population of 4,557,808. Of this population, 1,074,627 are under the age of 18 and 600,258 are at or above the age of 65.