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. California has 2,888 practicing general surgeons. Broken out by city, general surgery doctor density in Alhambra is 13, in Anaheim is 35, in Antioch is 7, in Apple Valley is 4, in Arcadia is 13, in Bakersfield is 34, in Bellflower is 17, in Berkeley is 21, in Beverly Hills is 42, in Brawley is 4, in Brea is 3, in Burbank is 18, in Burlingame is 12, in Camarillo is 3, in Chico is 12, in Chula Vista is 19, in Concord is 10, in Corona is 15, in Covina is 10, in Culver City is 3, in Daly City is 6, in Davis is 6, in Downey is 12, in Duarte is 28, in Encinitas is 9, in Escondido is 4, in Folsom is 8, in Fountain Valley is 24, in Fremont is 16, in Fresno is 66, in Fullerton is 10, in Glendale is 27, in Huntington Beach is 9, in Inglewood is 11, in Irvine is 22, in La Mesa is 16, in Lafayette is 3, in Laguna Beach is 9, in Laguna Hills is 9, in Laguna Niguel is 2, in Lancaster is 19, in Loma Linda is 63, in Long Beach is 36, in Los Alamitos is 15, in Los Angeles is 362, in Los Gatos is 11, in Madera is 5, in Mission Viejo is 13, in Modesto is 23, in Monterey is 12, in Monterey Park is 9, in Moreno Valley is 10, in Mountain View is 15, in Murrieta is 14, in Napa is 11, in Newport Beach is 29, in Novato is 4, in Oakland is 40, in Oceanside is 8, in Orange is 67, in Oxnard is 13, in Palm Springs is 11, in Palo Alto is 59, in Pasadena is 41, in Pleasanton is 10, in Pomona is 9, in Poway is 6, in Rancho Mirage is 8, in Redding is 11, in Redlands is 12, in Redwood City is 11, in Riverside is 36, in Roseville is 19, in Sacramento is 83, in Salinas is 16, in San Bernardino is 11, in San Clemente is 3, in San Diego is 154, in San Francisco is 230, in San Jose is 66, in San Luis Obispo is 13, in San Mateo is 12, in San Ramon is 8, in Santa Ana is 16, in Santa Barbara is 14, in Santa Cruz is 11, in Santa Monica is 47, in Santa Rosa is 20, in Sonoma is 2, in Stockton is 21, in Sunnyvale is 8, in Thousand Oaks is 17, in Torrance is 56, in Upland is 9, in Victorville is 4, in Visalia is 13, in Walnut Creek is 37, in West Covina is 10, in West Hollywood is 22, and in Whittier is 15.

California’s population is 36,142,137, and it is America’s third largest and most populous state. It also claims the highest and lowest altitudes in the lower 48 states. The lowest point in the country, Death Valley, is also home to the nation’s highest recorded temperature, 134 degrees. Tourists flock to this state for its many outdoor activities and attractions, including Universal Studios, Disneyland, Rodeo Drive shopping, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, wine country tours, and California’s numerous beaches and parks. Los Angeles is the nation’s second largest city, but California’s capital is Sacramento. The giant sequoias in California’s forests are among the oldest living things in the world, and a redwood in the Redwood National Park is said to be the world’s tallest tree, at 365 feet. California achieved statehood in 1850, and was named the Golden State after the beginning of the Gold Rush in 1848.

According to 2005 Census estimates, California has a population of 36,132,147. Of this population, 9,308,563 are under the age of 18 and 3,827,038 are at or above the age of 65.