🔬 General Surgery
UPSC CMS Surgery Questions
General Surgery is a major component of UPSC CMS Paper II, covering a wide range of surgical topics from acute abdomen to oncology, trauma, orthopaedics, and post-operative management.
About Surgery in UPSC CMS
UPSC CMS Paper II covers General Surgery, OBG, and PSM. Surgery questions focus on clinical diagnosis, pre-operative assessment, surgical anatomy, operative details, and post-operative complications. Many questions are scenario-based, requiring the candidate to decide the next best step in management.
The primary reference is Bailey & Love’s Short Practice of Surgery. Questions from 2020–2025 show a consistent emphasis on clinical reasoning over rote learning.
Important Surgery Topics for UPSC CMS
✨ High-Yield Areas
Acute Abdomen: Appendicitis, acute pancreatitis (severity scoring, management), cholecystitis, bowel obstruction (small vs large, management principles), peritonitis.
GI Surgery: Peptic ulcer disease (surgical indications), GI bleeding (upper vs lower, endoscopic management), carcinoma stomach, carcinoma colon, rectal cancer (surgical approaches).
Hepatobiliary: Cholelithiasis and laparoscopic cholecystectomy, obstructive jaundice workup, liver abscess (amoebic vs pyogenic), portal hypertension and oesophageal varices.
Hernia: Inguinal hernia anatomy, femoral hernia, incisional hernia, strangulation and reduction, mesh repair principles.
Breast Surgery: Breast cancer (staging, surgical options, sentinel node biopsy), benign breast diseases, breast abscess.
Thyroid and Parathyroid: Thyroid nodule workup, thyroid cancer types and management, thyroidectomy complications, hyperparathyroidism.
Vascular Surgery: Peripheral arterial disease, acute limb ischaemia, varicose veins, aortic aneurysm.
Trauma: ATLS principles, trauma scoring, abdominal trauma management, orthopaedic trauma basics, burns classification and management.
Orthopaedics: Fracture classification and management, compartment syndrome, dislocations, common orthopaedic conditions (frozen shoulder, carpal tunnel, spine disorders).
GI Surgery: Peptic ulcer disease (surgical indications), GI bleeding (upper vs lower, endoscopic management), carcinoma stomach, carcinoma colon, rectal cancer (surgical approaches).
Hepatobiliary: Cholelithiasis and laparoscopic cholecystectomy, obstructive jaundice workup, liver abscess (amoebic vs pyogenic), portal hypertension and oesophageal varices.
Hernia: Inguinal hernia anatomy, femoral hernia, incisional hernia, strangulation and reduction, mesh repair principles.
Breast Surgery: Breast cancer (staging, surgical options, sentinel node biopsy), benign breast diseases, breast abscess.
Thyroid and Parathyroid: Thyroid nodule workup, thyroid cancer types and management, thyroidectomy complications, hyperparathyroidism.
Vascular Surgery: Peripheral arterial disease, acute limb ischaemia, varicose veins, aortic aneurysm.
Trauma: ATLS principles, trauma scoring, abdominal trauma management, orthopaedic trauma basics, burns classification and management.
Orthopaedics: Fracture classification and management, compartment syndrome, dislocations, common orthopaedic conditions (frozen shoulder, carpal tunnel, spine disorders).
High-Yield Topics for UPSC CMS Surgery (2020–2025)
Based on analysis of all 234 Surgery questions across six years of UPSC CMS papers, these topics have appeared most frequently:
| Topic | Questions (2020–25) |
|---|---|
| GI Surgery | 71 |
| General Surgery | 39 |
| Orthopaedics | 19 |
| Surgical Oncology | 16 |
| Vascular Surgery | 13 |
| Urology | 13 |
| Head & Neck Surgery | 11 |
| Neurosurgery | 10 |
| Endocrine Surgery | 9 |
| Cardiothoracic Surgery | 8 |
How Surgery Questions Have Changed from 2020 to 2025
Surgery questions remain dominated by GI Surgery and General Surgery across all years, but Orthopaedics and Urology have gained ground since 2023. The 2024–2025 papers introduced more case-based vignettes (a patient presentation followed by 'next best step') rather than direct factual recall, mirroring the broader shift seen in Paper I.
Key Textbooks and Chapters
📚 Primary Reference: Bailey & Love's Short Practice of Surgery (28th ed.)
- GI Surgery — Ch. 58-68 (oesophagus, stomach, hepatobiliary, pancreas)
- General Surgery — Ch. 3-16 (wound healing, infection, perioperative care)
- Orthopaedics — Ch. 35-42 (fractures, dislocations, spine)
- Surgical Oncology — Ch. 45 (breast cancer staging and management)
- Urology — Ch. 72-75 (renal calculi, prostate, bladder)
Practice Surgery PYQs Online
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