What is the difference between surgery and operation?

This is a common question! In everyday conversation, people often use "surgery" and "operation" interchangeably, but there are some subtle differences.Surgery typically refers to the medical specialty itself - the field of medicine that involves operative procedures. When we say "he's in surgery," we mean he's in the operating room or the surgical department. It can also refer to a specific procedure, like "heart surgery."Operation generally refers to the specific procedure being performed. So while all surgeries are operations, not all operations are surgeries. For example, military missions or business procedures can be called operations too, but only medical procedures involving cutting into the body are surgeries.In medical contexts, you'll often hear both terms used together - "surgical operation" - which covers both the specialty and the specific procedure. The key thing to remember is that surgery involves invasive procedures where surgeons work directly on body tissues, while operation is a broader term.