What type of history focuses on a patient's previous medical surgeries?

The focus of surgical history is specifically on a patient’s past medical procedures and surgeries they have undergone. This aspect of the medical history is crucial for understanding potential complications, the patient's medical background, and any prior health issues related to surgical interventions. Surgical history provides the healthcare provider with insight into the patient’s previous experiences with anesthesia, surgical risks, and recovery, which can inform present and future medical decisions.

While obstetric history pertains to a woman's pregnancy-related history, social history encompasses factors such as lifestyle and environmental influences, and developmental history focuses on milestones and growth particularly in children, none of these provide the detailed account of prior surgeries that the surgical history does. Therefore, surgical history is the most appropriate choice for understanding a patient's previous medical surgeries.