Common Surgical Procedure Abbreviations

I believe that almost every occupation has its own lingo unique to its own little world. The world of surgery is no exception. We have a big board where the operating room schedule is posted by OR room, surgeon and procedure. When I first started, staff would be standing around discussing different procedures on the board in what sounded like some kind of crazy code, but after 2 years, most of it has finally sunk in!

Following is a list of common abbreviations for common surgeries at my facility:

TAH: Total Abdominal Hysterectomy
TVH: Total Vaginal Hysterectomy
LAVH: Lapascopic Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy
BKA: Below the Knee Amputation
AKA: Above the Knee Amputation

This is just a partial list, but you get the idea!