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. Oklahoma has 372 practicing general surgeons. Broken out by city, general surgery doctor density in Ada is 6, in Altus is 2, in Ardmore is 11, in Atoka is 1, in Bartlesville is 5, in Bethany is 3, in Bixby is 1, in Blackwell is 2, in Bristow is 1, in Broken Arrow is 2, in Chickasha is 4, in Chouteau is 1, in Claremore is 8, in Cleveland is 3, in Clinton is 4, in Cushing is 3, in Drumright is 2, in Duncan is 4, in Durant is 4, in Edmond is 9, in El Reno is 3, in Elk City is 1, in Enid is 12, in Eufaula is 1, in Fairfax is 1, in Fort Sill is 3, in Grove is 3, in Guthrie is 1, in Guymon is 4, in Helena is 1, in Hobart is 1, in Hugo is 1, in Idabel is 4, in Jenks is 4, in Lawton is 8, in Lindsay is 1, in Madill is 1, in Mcalester is 3, in Miami is 2, in Midwest City is 5, in Moore is 2, in Morrison is 1, in Muskogee is 8, in Newkirk is 1, in Norman is 7, in Okeene is 1, in Oklahoma City is 108, in Okmulgee is 1, in Owasso is 4, in Pauls Valley is 1, in Pawnee is 1, in Perry is 1, in Ponca City is 2, in Poteau is 1, in Prague is 1, in Pryor is 2, in Seminole is 2, in Shattuck is 2, in Shawnee is 4, in Stigler is 2, in Stillwater is 4, in Stilwell is 1, in Sulphur is 1, in Tahlequah is 10, in Talihina is 2, in Tinker Afb is 2, in Tulsa is 97, in Vinita is 1, in Wagoner is 1, in Weatherford is 1, in Wilburton is 1, in Woodward is 2, and in Yukon is 4.

Oklahoma’s population is 3,547,884, and its largest city and centrally located capital is Oklahoma City. Oklahoma was recognized as a territory in 1890, but not accepted into the union as a state until 1907. Visitors to the capital can see the National Cowboy Hall of Fame or view the stockyards area, which is the largest cattle market in the world. Famous people from Oklahoma include singers Woody Guthrie, Garth Brooks and Vince Gill, actor and director Ron Howard, and humorist Will Rogers.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Oklahoma has a population of 3,547,884. Of this population, 803,170 are under the age of 18 and 456,686 are at or above the age of 65.