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Concept
Prophylactic surgery
Summary
Prophylactic surgery (also known as preventive surgery or risk-reducing surgery), is a form of surgery whose purpose is to minimize or prevent the risk of developing cancer in an organ or gland that has yet to develop cancer and is known to be at high risk of developing cancer. This form of preventive healthcare may include surgeries such as mastectomies, oophorectomies, colectomies and surgical corrections, such as the surgical correction of cryptorchidism or undescended testis. Another less common definition of prophylactic surgery also includes the prevention of other diseases, outcomes or even future appearance.
Throughout most of history, preventive medical techniques have been largely ignored and mostly only relegated to scarce occurrences. Despite the prevalence of diseases such as syphilis, leprosy and the black plague throughout the late Middle Ages, the concepts of preventive medicine was largely ignored despite advancements in quarantining and sanitary techniques. Furthermore, the high mortality rate of surgeries both during and post-operation deemed these procedures to be too high of a risk to take for a preventive measure. This changed however with the introduction of anesthesia, advancements in anatomy and with the introduction anti-septic or aseptic techniques alongside further advancements in sanitary techniques in the 19th to 20th century allowed surgeons to consider prophylactic surgeries without running the high risks previously experienced.
One may choose to undergo prophylactic surgery if they believe that it is within their best interest to undergo a procedure in order to remove a high-risk organ or gland. There are several types of preventable surgeries that are known to substantially decrease the risk of future disease. Since prophylactic surgeries are usually permanent and irreversible, the pros and cons must be carefully weighed by individuals considering the procedure. There is a whole myriad of ethical, physiological and psychological considerations to be made before taking such a procedure.
Official source
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