NEET MDS General Surgery Syllabus

General Surgery syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for General Surgery in NEET MDS, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   General Surgery

   4 topics

   • Preoperative Care
     • Patient Assessment
     • Risk Stratification
     • Preoperative Investigations
     • Informed Consent
   • Postoperative Care
     • Monitoring and Support
     • Pain Management
     • Wound Care
     • Complications and Management
   • Surgical Infections
     • Types of Infections
     • Antibiotic Prophylaxis
     • Management of Surgical Site Infections
   • Surgical Techniques
     • Aseptic Techniques
     • Suturing and Knot Tying
     • Hemostasis
2. 2

   Trauma Surgery

   5 topics

   • Initial Assessment and Management
     • Primary Survey (ABCDE)
     • Secondary Survey
     • Trauma Resuscitation
   • Head and Neck Trauma
     • Scalp Lacerations
     • Facial Fractures
     • Neck Injuries
   • Thoracic Trauma
     • Chest Wall Injuries
     • Pulmonary Contusion
     • Cardiac Injuries
   • Abdominal Trauma
     • Solid Organ Injuries
     • Hollow Viscus Injuries
     • Retroperitoneal Hematoma
   • Orthopedic Trauma
     • Fracture Management
     • Dislocations
     • Compartment Syndrome
3. 3

   Gastrointestinal Surgery

   5 topics

   • Esophageal Surgery
     • Achalasia
     • Esophageal Cancer
     • Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
   • Gastric Surgery
     • Peptic Ulcer Disease
     • Gastric Cancer
     • Bariatric Surgery
   • Hepatobiliary Surgery
     • Liver Cirrhosis
     • Hepatocellular Carcinoma
     • Cholecystitis and Cholelithiasis
   • Pancreatic Surgery
     • Pancreatitis
     • Pancreatic Cancer
     • Cystic Neoplasms
   • Colorectal Surgery
     • Colorectal Cancer
     • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
     • Diverticular Disease
4. 4

   Cardiothoracic Surgery

   3 topics

   • Cardiac Surgery
     • Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG)
     • Valve Replacement Surgery
     • Congenital Heart Defects
   • Thoracic Surgery
     • Lung Cancer Surgery
     • Thoracoscopic Surgery
     • Pleural Diseases
   • Vascular Surgery
     • Aortic Aneurysm
     • Peripheral Arterial Disease
     • Carotid Endarterectomy
5. 5

   Neurosurgery

   3 topics

   • Cranial Surgery
     • Brain Tumors
     • Traumatic Brain Injury
     • Hydrocephalus
   • Spinal Surgery
     • Spinal Cord Injury
     • Degenerative Spine Disease
     • Spinal Tumors
   • Peripheral Nerve Surgery
     • Nerve Repair
     • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
     • Peripheral Nerve Tumors
6. 6

   Pediatric Surgery

   3 topics

   • Neonatal Surgery
     • Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia
     • Esophageal Atresia
     • Imperforate Anus
   • Pediatric Oncology
     • Wilms' Tumor
     • Neuroblastoma
     • Rhabdomyosarcoma
   • Pediatric Trauma
     • Pediatric Fractures
     • Abdominal Trauma
     • Head Injuries
7. 7

   Plastic Surgery

   3 topics

   • Reconstructive Surgery
     • Burn Management
     • Cleft Lip and Palate
     • Breast Reconstruction
   • Cosmetic Surgery
     • Rhinoplasty
     • Liposuction
     • Facelift
   • Hand Surgery
     • Carpal Tunnel Release
     • Dupuytren's Contracture
     • Tendon Repair
8. 8

   Urology

   3 topics

   • Renal Surgery
     • Kidney Stones
     • Renal Cell Carcinoma
     • Nephrectomy
   • Bladder Surgery
     • Bladder Cancer
     • Cystectomy
     • Urinary Diversion
   • Prostate Surgery
     • Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
     • Prostate Cancer
     • Prostatectomy
9. 9

   Orthopedic Surgery

   3 topics

   • Joint Replacement
     • Hip Replacement
     • Knee Replacement
     • Shoulder Replacement
   • Spine Surgery
     • Spinal Fusion
     • Disc Herniation
     • Scoliosis Surgery
   • Sports Injuries
     • ACL Reconstruction
     • Meniscal Repair
     • Rotator Cuff Repair

General Surgery flashcards for NEET MDS

21 of 52 cards from the General Surgery deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the recommended preoperative fasting time for solids and clear fluids before elective surgery under general anaesthesia?

   Solids and non-clear fluids: 6 hours; clear fluids: 2 hours (the '6-4-2' rule, with 4 hours for breast milk).

2. In the ASA physical status classification, what does ASA III denote?

   A patient with severe systemic disease that is not incapacitating / a constant threat to life but limits activity (e.g., poorly controlled diabetes or hypertension).

3. What is the antibiotic timing rule for surgical prophylaxis to prevent surgical site infection?

   Give a single IV dose within 60 minutes before skin incision (within 120 minutes for vancomycin/fluoroquinolones).

4. How are surgical wounds classified by contamination, and what is the expected infection rate of a clean wound?

   Clean, clean-contaminated, contaminated, and dirty. Clean wounds have an SSI rate of about 1-2%.

5. What organism most commonly causes surgical site infections overall?

   Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA).

6. What is the classic clinical triad of necrotizing fasciitis that mandates urgent surgical debridement?

   Pain out of proportion to findings, skin crepitus/gas, and rapidly spreading erythema with systemic toxicity; treatment is emergent debridement plus broad-spectrum antibiotics.

7. What is the most common cause of postoperative fever in the first 24-48 hours?

   Atelectasis (the classic '5 Ws' begin with Wind/atelectasis).

8. List the '5 Ws' mnemonic for the timeline of postoperative fever causes.

   Wind (atelectasis, day 1-2), Water (UTI, day 3-5), Wound (infection, day 5-7), Walking (DVT/PE, day 5+), Wonder drugs (drug fever/abscess, after day 7).

9. What suture characteristic distinguishes absorbable from non-absorbable sutures, and give one example of each?

   Absorbable sutures are broken down by the body (e.g., Vicryl/polyglactin); non-absorbable sutures persist and need removal (e.g., Prolene/polypropylene, silk).

10. In trauma resuscitation, what does the primary survey 'ABCDE' stand for?

    Airway with cervical spine control, Breathing, Circulation with hemorrhage control, Disability (neuro), Exposure/Environment.

11. What are the components of the Glasgow Coma Scale and its score range?

    Eye opening (1-4), Verbal response (1-5), Motor response (1-6); total range 3-15.

12. In ATLS hemorrhagic shock classification, which class corresponds to ~30-40% blood loss?

    Class III: 30-40% loss (1500-2000 mL), with tachycardia, hypotension, decreased urine output, and confusion—usually requires blood transfusion.

13. What GCS score generally indicates the need for definitive airway protection (intubation) in head trauma?

    GCS of 8 or less ('GCS 8, intubate').

14. What is the Cushing reflex/triad indicating raised intracranial pressure?

    Hypertension (widened pulse pressure), bradycardia, and irregular respiration.

15. What is the immediately life-threatening difference between a tension pneumothorax and an open pneumothorax in management?

    Tension pneumothorax needs immediate needle decompression (2nd ICS midclavicular or 5th ICS anterior axillary) then chest tube; open ('sucking') chest wound needs a 3-sided occlusive dressing then chest tube.

16. What is Beck's triad seen in cardiac tamponade?

    Hypotension, muffled heart sounds, and distended neck veins (raised JVP).

17. Name the lethal triad in major trauma resuscitation.

    Hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy.

18. What is the FAST scan and the four regions it examines?

    Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma—checks perihepatic (RUQ/Morrison's pouch), perisplenic (LUQ), pelvis (pouch of Douglas), and pericardium for free fluid/blood.

19. Which solid abdominal organ is most commonly injured in blunt abdominal trauma?

    The spleen (the liver is most commonly injured in penetrating trauma).

20. What classification grades open fractures and what does Gustilo type III indicate?

    The Gustilo-Anderson classification; type III is a high-energy open fracture with extensive soft tissue damage (IIIA adequate coverage, IIIB needs flap, IIIC has arterial injury).

21. What is the limb-threatening surgical emergency of raised intracompartmental pressure, and its hallmark sign?

    Compartment syndrome; hallmark is pain out of proportion worsened by passive stretch (the earliest of the 6 Ps); treatment is urgent fasciotomy.

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