Elective surgery or elective procedure (from the Latin eligere, meaning to choose) is surgery that is scheduled in advance because it does not involve a medical emergency. Semi-elective surgery is a surgery that must be done to preserve the patient's life, but does not need to be performed immediately.
By contrast, an urgent surgery is one that can wait until the patient is medically stable, but should generally be done today or tomorrow, and an emergency surgery is one that must be performed without delay; the patient has no choice other than immediate surgery, if they do not want to risk permanent disability or death.
Most surgeries are elective.
Read more about Elective Surgery: Types, Increasing Urgency
Famous quotes containing the words elective and/or surgery:
“A politician never forgets the precarious nature of elective life. We have never established a practice of tenure in public office.”
—Hubert H. Humphrey (1911–1978)
“Ever since surgery began, man’s destiny has been to suffer, in order that he might be cured. And no one can change that, gentlemen.”
—Jean Scott Rogers, and Robert Day. Mr. Blount (Frank Pettingell)