Surgical pathology involves analyzing tissue and other body samples collected during surgery to identify disease, growths, and infection. Pathologists work in labs and advise medical teams on care plans and risks. They use macroscopic and microscopic techniques, as well as molecular diagnosis, to make diagnoses. Specializations include surgical oncology and forensic pathology. Extensive training and licensure are required.
Surgical pathology is a field of medicine that focuses on the research and analysis of tissue and other body samples collected or exposed during surgery. The field is normally focused on identifying disease, growths, and infection based on a careful study of tissue samples in the laboratory. People in this profession are almost always trained as surgeons first, and many have spent time in operating rooms before moving onto the pathological side of the field, though not always. The crux of this work is usually research, and surgeons in pathology labs usually don’t interact much with patients. Rather, they work as members of a patient’s medical team and advise both surgeons and general practitioners on plans of care and possible risks. In addition to identifying individual diagnoses, pathology typically also includes work that identifies trends and patterns more broadly. Researchers in the field are often leading voices when it comes to setting policy and developing treatment plans for society as a whole, not just individuals with specific, identified problems.
Understanding of pathology in general
Pathology more generally is a branch of medicine that focuses on the nature, cause, and effect of disease or injury. There are many different types of pathology, although they all have some basic things in common. They are research-based, for example, and focus on biological markers and identification rather than cure or patient care. Surgical pathology focuses on the analysis of tissue, or even organs, that are removed from living patients during surgery. It is the surgical pathologist’s job to use that sample to help diagnose the disease or problem and formulate a treatment plan.
Types and specializations within surgery
Surgical pathologists, sometimes referred to as surgical diagnosticians, may be generalists or may specialize in a specific area of medicine. A surgical oncology pathologist, for example, will focus largely on analyzing cancerous and malignant tumors, cysts, or white blood cells. There’s also the forensic pathologist, who participates in autopsies to find out the causes of a person’s death.
Diagnostic techniques
Surgical pathologists typically approach specimens in a couple of different ways. The most basic technique is at the macroscopic level: just viewing the sample with the naked eye can provide the pathologist with enough information to make a diagnosis. Very often, however, the pathologist will also require microscopic assistance to make a sufficient diagnosis and prognosis. The microscope, therefore, is one of the primary tools that a pathologist uses. However, the surgical pathologist does not rely solely on the eye and the microscope. Molecular diagnosis, such as DNA analysis, and other laboratory tests are sometimes used to help produce a diagnosis.
Daily work
The pathologist can work in a variety of locations from a hospital to a clinic to a morgue or crime lab. Typically, however, the primary work in surgical pathology takes place within a laboratory.
It is important to note that the surgical pathologist is usually not the one who actually performs the surgery. That job is the responsibility of the general surgeon. The pathologist, on the other hand, analyzes the sample taken during a surgical procedure. That sample can be a biopsy, which is a sample of tissue from the infected area, or an excision of an entire diseased area or even an entire organ. Surgical pathology also includes the analysis of specimens provided by a non-surgeon. A dermatologist, for example, might remove a mole for analysis by a surgical pathologist.
Start in the field
Working in this field almost always requires extensive training, on-the-job training, and licensure. Licensing requirements vary slightly from location to location, but almost always require completion of a medical degree, participation in an approved hospital or clinical residency program, and certification with a licensing board. In the United States, that board is usually the American Board of Pathology, and most countries have an equivalent.
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