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. Kansas has 314 practicing general surgeons. Broken out by city, general surgery doctor density in Arkansas City is 1, in Atchison is 4, in Beloit is 2, in Blue Rapids is 1, in Chanute is 2, in Cherryvale is 2, in Coffeyville is 2, in Dodge City is 3, in El Dorado is 2, in Elkhart is 2, in Emporia is 4, in Eureka is 1, in Fairway is 1, in Fort Campbell is 1, in Fort Leavenworth is 1, in Fort Riley is 2, in Fort Scott is 3, in Fredonia is 1, in Frontenac is 1, in Garden City is 4, in Great Bend is 6, in Greenleaf is 1, in Hays is 8, in Herington is 1, in Hiawatha is 1, in Hill City is 1, in Hoisington is 2, in Hutchinson is 4, in Independence is 2, in Iola is 3, in Junction City is 3, in Kansas City is 47, in Kingman is 1, in Lansing is 4, in Lawrence is 6, in Leavenworth is 4, in Leawood is 6, in Lenexa is 1, in Liberal is 3, in Louisville is 1, in Manhattan is 3, in Marion is 1, in Marysville is 2, in Mcpherson is 4, in Medicine Lodge is 1, in Mission is 1, in Murray is 1, in Newton is 4, in Norton is 1, in Olathe is 7, in Ottawa is 2, in Overland Park is 30, in Paola is 1, in Parsons is 3, in Pittsburg is 4, in Pittsburgh is 3, in Prairie Village is 1, in Pratt is 2, in Rolla is 1, in Russell is 2, in Sabetha is 1, in Salina is 6, in Seneca is 1, in Shawnee is 5, in Shawnee Mission is 22, in Smith Center is 1, in Sublette is 1, in Syracuse is 1, in Topeka is 25, in Ulysses is 1, in Wellington is 1, in Wichita is 79, and in Winfield is 3.

Kansas was admitted to the United States in 1861. Topeka is its capital city, and the population of Kansas is 2,744,687. Topeka offers sports and recreation, arts and cultural entertainment, and casinos to residents and visitors. Lucas claims to be the Folk Art center of the United States. Visit the Pony Express National Historic Trail, tour historic Fort Leavenworth, or see the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchinson. Kansas is also home to the John Brown Museum, which was a stop on the Underground Railroad in the mid-1800s.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Kansas has a population of 2,744,687. Of this population, 652,270 are under the age of 18 and 354,995 are at or above the age of 65.