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. Louisiana has 470 practicing general surgeons. Broken out by city, general surgery doctor density in Abbeville is 2, in Alexandria is 23, in Amite is 2, in Arcadia is 1, in Arnaudville is 1, in Avondale is 1, in Bastrop is 4, in Baton Rouge is 42, in Bogalusa is 4, in Bossier City is 5, in Chalmette is 2, in Columbia is 1, in Covington is 27, in Crowley is 5, in Cut Off is 4, in Delhi is 1, in Deridder is 1, in Donaldsonville is 2, in Eunice is 1, in Ferriday is 1, in Fort Polk is 1, in Franklin is 2, in Franklinton is 5, in Gonzales is 6, in Gramercy is 1, in Greensburg is 1, in Gretna is 5, in Hammond is 10, in Harvey is 1, in Houma is 14, in Independence is 5, in Jackson is 1, in Jefferson is 11, in Jena is 1, in Jennings is 1, in Jonesboro is 2, in Kaplan is 1, in Kenner is 9, in La Place is 3, in Lacombe is 1, in Lafayette is 25, in Lake Charles is 16, in Leesville is 2, in Libuse is 1, in Lincoln is 1, in Luling is 2, in Mamou is 3, in Mandeville is 2, in Mansfield is 2, in Many is 1, in Marksville is 3, in Marrero is 18, in Metairie is 36, in Minden is 3, in Monroe is 10, in Montebello is 1, in Morgan City is 3, in Natchitoches is 2, in New Iberia is 9, in New Orleans is 120, in Oakdale is 2, in Opelousas is 8, in Pineville is 4, in Plaquemine is 3, in Prairieville is 1, in Raceland is 1, in Rayville is 1, in Ruston is 4, in Saint Gabriel is 1, in Shreveport is 51, in Slidell is 12, in Springhill is 2, in Sterlington is 1, in Sulphur is 4, in Thibodaux is 6, in Vacherie is 1, in Ville Platte is 3, in West Monroe is 5, in Westwego is 1, in Winnfield is 2, in Winnsboro is 1, and in Zachary is 3.

Louisiana was named after French King Louis XIV, and the state joined the union in 1812. Louisiana’s population is 4,523,628, and Baton Rouge is its capital city. Louisiana has rich cultural heritage that is celebrated at many festivals all over the state. Taste a variety of cuisines, including Cajun and Creole food. Listen to jazz or zydeco music in New Orleans, visit the French Quarter, attend the Mardi Gras in the spring, or take a steamboat trip down the Mississippi River.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Louisiana has a population of 4,523,628. Of this population, 1,132,763 are under the age of 18 and 528,837 are at or above the age of 65.