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. Maine has 181 practicing general surgeons. Broken out by city, general surgery doctor density in Auburn is 3, in Augusta is 10, in Baileyville is 1, in Bangor is 21, in Bar Harbor is 2, in Bath is 1, in Belfast is 6, in Biddeford is 6, in Bridgton is 4, in Brunswick is 12, in Calais is 4, in Caribou is 3, in Damariscotta is 3, in Danforth is 1, in Detroit is 2, in Dover Foxcroft is 4, in Ellsworth is 5, in Falmouth is 1, in Farmington is 4, in Fort Kent is 2, in Greenville is 2, in Houlton is 2, in Jonesport is 1, in Lewiston is 10, in Lincoln is 2, in Machias is 2, in Mars Hill is 1, in Millinocket is 3, in Newport is 1, in Norway is 4, in Oakland is 2, in Portland is 44, in Presque Isle is 3, in Rockport is 5, in Rumford is 3, in Sanford is 7, in Scarborough is 2, in Skowhegan is 3, in South Berwick is 1, in South Portland is 2, in Van Buren is 1, in Waterville is 9, in Westbrook is 3, in Wilton is 1, in Yarmouth is 1, and in York is 3.

When you think of Maine, you probably think of seafood. Maine’s 228 miles of coastline offer residents and tourists breathtaking coastal scenery and numerous summer water sports, though most tourists visit Maine in the warmer months. Ninety percent of the land in Maine is forested, and the Appalachian Trail begins in this state. The capital city is Augusta, and the population is 1,321, 505. Famous Maine citizens include author Stephen King, artist Andrew Wyeth, and poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Maine has a population of 1,321,505. Of this population, 272,217 are under the age of 18 and 192,024 are at or above the age of 65.