# Surgical procedures

<mark style="color:$danger;">**This Editorial Guide is used for Education Purposes Only. It is used in the Authoring Courses and Certifications. It is based on the January 2026 Editorial Guide.**</mark>

A *surgical procedure* is defined as a procedure that involves intentional non-transient alteration of structures of the body, and/or a procedure that necessarily involves cutting into the body. This definition includes all procedures defined by *Method* (attribute) with Surgical action (qualifier value).

SNOMED CT classifies concepts as surgical procedures if their methods are *surgical actions* based on the action hierarchy. The surgical action hierarchy distinguishes surgical from non-surgical actions based on the definition above. Note the *Or* in the sentence; actions that do not involve cutting or incision, but do involve the intentional non-transient alteration of anatomy, are still surgical.

{% hint style="success" %}
**Operation**

In SNOMED CT, *operation* is synonymous with surgical procedure.
{% endhint %}

Surgical procedures are not defined simply as procedures done by a surgeon (despite some dictionary definitions). Surgeons can perform many non-surgical actions and surgical procedures need not necessarily be performed by a surgeon, i.e. if a non-surgeon performs a surgical procedure, it is still a surgical procedure.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Medical procedure**

The use of the term *medical procedure* is deprecated, i.e., not recommended, because it lacks reproducible meaning. It might be defined as *a procedure done by a physician*, but even that is deprecated, because it is provider-specific.
{% endhint %}

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