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This question is about what a physician assistant does.
Can a physician assistant perform surgery?
No, a physician assistant cannot perform surgery; however, they can assist doctors during surgical procedures. Although the general surgeon typically performs complex surgeries, the PAs are the first assistants in surgery. PAs will do as much as the surgeons allow them to do.
Some of the procedures commonly performed by PAs are cutting and draining abscesses, inserting IVs, putting in chest tubes, and assisting the anesthesiologist/nurse/surgeon team. About 38,000 physician assistants work in surgical environments according to the American Association of Surgical Physician Assistants.
Of the many areas in which physician assistants can specialize, the surgical subspecialties area ranked the 5th-highest in terms of wage potential. The National Commission on Physician Assistants reports that physician assistants who go into surgical specialties can earn an average annual wage of $113,752.
Part of the education required to become a physician assistant includes completing clinical work in various areas of medicine including surgery. Additionally, they can choose to focus on surgery as an area of specialization and complete a physician-assistant surgical residency.
The PA can choose to work in general surgery or can choose from various areas of specialization such as:
Critical care
General surgery
Trauma surgery
Pediatric surgery
Anesthesia
Burn surgery
Neurosurgery
Cardiothoracic surgery
Head and neck surgery
Colorectal surgery
Transplant surgery
Orthopedic surgery
Plastic and reconstructive surgery
Surgical oncology
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