Surgical research: its importance in the evolution of the specialty of general surgery.

General surgery is a specialty that has gradually been defined by the evolution of surgery in general, the major events being the identification and separation of subspecialties. Advances in knowledge brought about by research have been the major determinants in allowing the development of these subspecialties. Research has played a major role in the redefinition of general surgery, which has now in its own right become both the parent specialty and a subspecialty: the parent specialty because of its continued concern with disease states of a general nature, such as trauma, critical care, nutrition, transplantation, oncology; a subspecialty because of its focus on specific areas of surgery, particularly gastrointestinal surgery. Future developments in general surgery depend on fostering research in both the general and specific areas, and also across the whole spectrum from the most basic to applied clinical research.