Minor Recovery Surgery

A surgical intervention that does not expose a body cavity or that does not ordinarily have the potential to result in impairment of a vital physical or physiological function.

Examples of minor survival surgeries include:

  • Cranial burr holes that do not expose dura or brain
  • Subcutaneous implants
  • Peripheral vessel cannulation (peripheral approach)
  • Castration (scrotal or prescrotal approach)
  • Oral surgery and tooth extractions not involving bone
  • -Oscopies into natural openings that involve biopsy
  • Small digit or tail amputation
  • Surgical repair of superficial injury