Surgical operation rates: a twelve year experience in Stockton on Tees.

A review of twelve years surgical practice in a district in the North East of England is presented. During this period 63 562 surgical operations were undertaken. Analyses of these operations show that the amount of elective general surgery undertaken has almost doubled and the rate of emergency general surgery has remained remarkably constant. There has been a significant increase in the number of gallbladder, varicose vein and minor general surgical procedures performed. There has also been a significant increase in urological surgery and in orthopaedic surgery which has doubled over the study period.