An operation to remove a large amount of damaged or neoplastic tissue and/or adjoining areas of lymphatic drainage so as to obtain a complete cure. This is in contrast to conservative surgery.
Comprehensive surgery conducted with the goal of eradicating a significant ailment, typically cancer, by excising all affected tissue along with any neighboring tissue that could potentially be afflicted as well.
Instances of radical surgery encompass procedures such as the radical mastectomy, employed to address breast cancer. This technique entails the complete removal of the affected breast, along with chest muscles, underarm lymph nodes, and surrounding tissue. Another example is the radical neck dissection, where lymph nodes in the neck are extracted. Additionally, amputation, commonly carried out to halt the advancement of gangrene (tissue necrosis), falls under this category.