Connecticut Seeks to Define Surgery via Legislation

A bill introduced by Connecticut State Representative Prasad Srinivasan would add a statutory definition of surgery to the State's code.

House Bill 5625 would define "surgery" to mean:

The structural alteration of the human body by incision or destruction of tissue or the diagnostic or therapeutic treatment of conditions or disease processes using any instrument causing localized alteration or transposition of live human tissue, including, but not limited to, lasers, ultrasound, ionizing radiation, scalpels, probes and needles, used to cut, burn vaporize, freeze, suture, probe, or otherwise alter by mechanical, thermal, light-based, electromagnetic, or chemical means, or manipulation by closed reductions for major dislocations or fractures, or the injection of diagnostic or therapeutic substances into body cavities, internal organs, joints, sensory organs and the central nervous system.

The purpose of the bill is to clarify what "surgery" means in other parts of Connecticut law.The measure is currently awaiting a public hearing in the Joint Committee on Public Health.

ASPS is working with the American College of Surgeons to support this measure.