Skilled Emergency Surgery in Arizona

Emergency surgery treats an urgently serious or life-threatening condition. It is not elective, meaning it is not something you plan. You need to have it immediately in order to preserve a body part or save your life.

At Dignity Health, our talented surgeons perform high-quality emergency surgery in Arizona. Come to one of our Phoenix-area hospitals for trusted emergency services. You can use our online InQuicker™ tool to select your estimated arrival time to one of our ERs.

If you are experiencing a life-threatening symptom or injury, signs of stroke, or heart attack, call 9-1-1.

Why Doctors Perform Emergency Surgery

You may need emergency surgery to treat the following conditions:

• Heart emergencies: heart attack, aortic dissection, and aneurysms
• High-energy trauma: work- and sports-related injuries, falls, crush injuries, and car accidents
• Abdominal and gastrointestinal events: appendicitis, bowel obstructions, and gallbladder infections
• Severe burns: burns that cover up to 90 percent of the body
• Neurologic events: stroke and brain aneurysms
• Penetrating trauma: gunshot and stab wounds
• Spinal cord and brain injuries: brain hemorrhage (bleeding), skull fracture, spinal cord compression, and back and neck fracture
• Lung conditions: pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in an artery going to your lung) and obstructions

What to Expect From Emergency Surgery

A variety of surgeons perform emergency surgery:

• Emergency surgeons
• Trauma surgeons
• Orthopedic surgeons
• Cardiothoracic surgeons
• Neurosurgeons
• General surgeons

Surgeons are on call at hospitals in order to provide care at any time of the day or night. Our hospitals designated as Level 1 trauma centers, such as St. Joseph's Emergency and Trauma Department and Chandler Regional Medical Hospital, will have more types of specialists available for emergency surgeries.

Recovery After Emergency Surgery

Recovery depends upon the type of injury and the surgery performed. Recovery times can be brief or lengthy and may or not not include rehabilitation. For example, emergency gallbladder removal may only involve rest and recuperation. However, emergency surgery for a spinal cord injury may be extensive.

The potential lifesaving benefit of emergency surgery usually outweighs the risks.