Etymologically, surgery mean a manual work activity. Over the last century, the development of knowledge, the specific approach to certain diseases and their increase have made it necessary to divide general surgery into numerous specialist branches.

Some are dedicated to the same general pathology, such as oncological surgery; other times to a specific organ or apparatus: it is the case of cardiac surgery and thoracic surgery. Further sectors are those concerning plastic and reconstructive surgery and approaches characterized by peculiar techniques: laparoscopic, robotic and endoscopic surgery.