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How to Say "surgery" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “surgery” is “operación” — use this word for a specific medical procedure or a planned medical operation, often involving cutting into the body to repair or remove something..

English → Spanish

operación

nounA2general
Use this word for a specific medical procedure or a planned medical operation, often involving cutting into the body to repair or remove something.

Examples

Mi abuela necesita una operación de cadera la próxima semana.

My grandmother needs a hip operation next week.

cirugía

nounB1general
This term refers to the medical specialty or the general practice of performing operations, as well as a specific medical operation.

Examples

El médico decidió que el paciente necesitaba una cirugía urgente.

The doctor decided that the patient needed urgent surgery.

intervención

nounB1medical
Use this word to refer to a medical procedure, especially one that is performed to treat a specific condition or problem.

Examples

La intervención duró tres horas pero todo salió bien.

The surgery lasted three hours but everything went well.

gabinete

/gah-bee-neh-teh//ɡaβiˈnete/

nounB1colloquial (Spain)
This word is used in Spain to refer to a doctor's or dentist's office or consulting room, not the medical procedure itself.
A clean, professional dentist's office with a reclining chair and medical equipment.

Examples

El dentista me espera en su gabinete.

The dentist is waiting for me in his office.

Tiene un gabinete de prensa muy eficiente.

He has a very efficient press office.

Professional Space

Use 'gabinete' instead of 'oficina' when talking about a specialized room where a professional (like a doctor or researcher) works.

Operación vs. Cirugía

Learners often confuse 'operación' and 'cirugía'. While both can mean 'surgery', 'operación' is more common for a specific procedure (especially at lower levels) and is very frequent. 'Cirugía' can refer to the field of medicine or a specific operation, often implying a more complex procedure or the specialty itself.

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