{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-2400.01_1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-2400.01_1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-2400.01_1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-2400.01_1.html"}],"law_id":72970,"edition_id":1,"section_id":72970,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400.01:1","catch_line":"Surgery defined; who may perform surgery","history":"2012, cc. 15, 124; 2022, cc. 16, 17; 2023, c. 183.","full_text":"A\n\nFor the purposes of this subtitle, except as used in Chapter 38 (&#xA7; 54.1-3800 et seq.) related to veterinary medicine, &#8220;surgery&#8221; means the structural alteration of the human body by the incision or cutting into of tissue for the purpose of diagnostic or therapeutic treatment of conditions or disease processes by any instrument causing localized alteration or transposition of live human tissue, but does not include the following: procedures for the removal of superficial foreign bodies from the human body, punctures, injections, dry needling, acupuncture, or removal of dead tissue. For the purposes of this section, incision shall not mean the scraping or brushing of live tissue.B\n\nNo person shall perform surgery unless he is (i) licensed by the Board of Medicine as a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or podiatry; (ii) licensed by the Board of Dentistry as a doctor of dentistry; (iii) jointly licensed by the Boards of Medicine and Nursing as an advanced practice registered nurse; (iv) a physician assistant acting under the supervision of a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or podiatry; (v) a licensed midwife in the performance of episiotomies during childbirth; (vi) licensed by the Board of Optometry as an optometrist and certified to perform laser surgery pursuant to &#xA7; 54.1-3225; or (vii) acting pursuant to the orders and under the appropriate supervision of a licensed doctor of medicine, osteopathy, podiatry, or dentistry.C\n\nNothing in this section shall be construed to restrict, limit, change, or expand the scope of practice in effect on January 1, 2012, of any profession licensed by any of the health regulatory boards within the Department of Health Professions.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":262823,"text":"For the purposes of this subtitle, except as used in Chapter 38 (&#xA7; 54.1-3800 et seq.) related to veterinary medicine, &#8220;surgery&#8221; means the structural alteration of the human body by the incision or cutting into of tissue for the purpose of diagnostic or therapeutic treatment of conditions or disease processes by any instrument causing localized alteration or transposition of live human tissue, but does not include the following: procedures for the removal of superficial foreign bodies from the human body, punctures, injections, dry needling, acupuncture, or removal of dead tissue. For the purposes of this section, incision shall not mean the scraping or brushing of live tissue.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":262824,"text":"No person shall perform surgery unless he is (i) licensed by the Board of Medicine as a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or podiatry; (ii) licensed by the Board of Dentistry as a doctor of dentistry; (iii) jointly licensed by the Boards of Medicine and Nursing as an advanced practice registered nurse; (iv) a physician assistant acting under the supervision of a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or podiatry; (v) a licensed midwife in the performance of episiotomies during childbirth; (vi) licensed by the Board of Optometry as an optometrist and certified to perform laser surgery pursuant to &#xA7; 54.1-3225; or (vii) acting pursuant to the orders and under the appropriate supervision of a licensed doctor of medicine, osteopathy, podiatry, or dentistry.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":262825,"text":"Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict, limit, change, or expand the scope of practice in effect on January 1, 2012, of any profession licensed by any of the health regulatory boards within the Department of Health Professions.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14778,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Provisions","identifier":"24","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12758,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:51","permalink":{"id":241107,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14778,"identifier":"24","token":"54.1\/III\/24","url":"\/54.1\/III\/24\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12758,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241105,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12758,"identifier":"III","token":"54.1\/III","url":"\/54.1\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":65440,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400","catch_line":"General powers and duties of health regulatory boards","url":"\/54.1-2400\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400","metadata":false},{"id":83001,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400.01","catch_line":"Certain definition","url":"\/54.1-2400.01\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400.01","metadata":false},{"id":72970,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400.01:1","catch_line":"Surgery defined; who may perform surgery","url":"\/54.1-2400.01_1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400.01_1","metadata":false},{"id":57686,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400.01:2","catch_line":"Ophthalmic prescription defined; who may provide ophthalmic prescriptions","url":"\/54.1-2400.01_2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400.01_2","metadata":false},{"id":63751,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400.02","catch_line":"Information concerning health professionals; posting of addresses on the Internet; providing personal information under certain circumstances prohibited; collection of address information from health professionals","url":"\/54.1-2400.02\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400.02","metadata":false},{"id":64184,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400.03","catch_line":"Health regulatory boards to report information concerning health professionals to the Department of Health; Eligible Health Care Provider Reserve Directory","url":"\/54.1-2400.03\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400.03","metadata":false},{"id":69157,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400.1","catch_line":"Mental health service providers; duty to protect third parties; immunity","url":"\/54.1-2400.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400.1","metadata":false},{"id":63038,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400.2","catch_line":"Confidentiality of information obtained during an investigation or disciplinary proceeding; penalty","url":"\/54.1-2400.2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400.2","metadata":false},{"id":87116,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400.3","catch_line":"Disciplinary actions to be reported","url":"\/54.1-2400.3\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400.3","metadata":false},{"id":64053,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400.4","catch_line":"Mental health service providers duty to inform; immunity; civil penalty","url":"\/54.1-2400.4\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400.4","metadata":false},{"id":56556,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400.5","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/54.1-2400.5\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400.5","metadata":false},{"id":58137,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400.6","catch_line":"Hospitals, other health care institutions, home health and hospice organizations, and assisted living facilities required to report disciplinary actions against and certain disorders of health professionals; 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cord blood banking","url":"\/54.1-2403.02\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2403.02","metadata":false},{"id":83187,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2403.1","catch_line":"Protocol for certain medical history screening required","url":"\/54.1-2403.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2403.1","metadata":false},{"id":62453,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2403.2","catch_line":"Record storage","url":"\/54.1-2403.2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2403.2","metadata":false},{"id":79452,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2403.3","catch_line":"Medical records; ownership; provision of copies","url":"\/54.1-2403.3\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2403.3","metadata":false},{"id":59177,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2404","catch_line":"Itemized statements required upon request","url":"\/54.1-2404\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2404","metadata":false},{"id":75820,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2404.1","catch_line":"Patient records","url":"\/54.1-2404.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2404.1","metadata":false},{"id":77933,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2404.2","catch_line":"Health care providers; 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allegations to be in writing","url":"\/54.1-2408.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2408.1","metadata":false},{"id":75296,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2408.2","catch_line":"Minimum period for reinstatement after revocation","url":"\/54.1-2408.2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2408.2","metadata":false},{"id":64692,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2408.3","catch_line":"Practice pending appeal","url":"\/54.1-2408.3\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2408.3","metadata":false},{"id":70912,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2408.4","catch_line":"Temporary authorization to practice","url":"\/54.1-2408.4\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2408.4","metadata":false},{"id":74205,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2409","catch_line":"Mandatory suspension or revocation; reinstatement; hearing for reinstatement","url":"\/54.1-2409\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2409","metadata":false},{"id":60525,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2409.1","catch_line":"Criminal penalties for practicing certain professions and occupations without appropriate licensure, certificate, etc","url":"\/54.1-2409.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2409.1","metadata":false},{"id":85564,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2409.1:1","catch_line":"Interjurisdictional compacts; criminal history record checks","url":"\/54.1-2409.1_1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2409.1_1","metadata":false},{"id":61737,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2409.2","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/54.1-2409.2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2409.2","metadata":false},{"id":75305,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2409.3","catch_line":"Participation of advisory boards in disciplinary proceedings","url":"\/54.1-2409.3\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2409.3","metadata":false},{"id":69480,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2409.4","catch_line":"Authority to receive laboratory results directly","url":"\/54.1-2409.4\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2409.4","metadata":false},{"id":76039,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2409.5","catch_line":"Conversion therapy prohibited","url":"\/54.1-2409.5\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2409.5","metadata":false},{"id":57334,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2409.6","catch_line":"Recommendation for Continuing education for certain licensees","url":"\/54.1-2409.6\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2409.6","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":83001,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400.01","catch_line":"Certain definition","url":"\/54.1-2400.01\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400.01","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":57686,"structure_id":14778,"section_number":"54.1-2400.01:2","catch_line":"Ophthalmic prescription defined; who may provide ophthalmic prescriptions","url":"\/54.1-2400.01_2\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400.01_2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-2400.01:1\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 2012. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?121+ful+CHAP0015\">15<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?121+ful+CHAP0124\">124<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 2022, chapters <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?221+ful+CHAP0016\">16<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?221+ful+CHAP0017\">17<\/a>; in 2023, chapter <a href=\"https:\/\/legacylis.virginia.gov\/cgi-bin\/legp604.exe?231+ful+CHAP0183\">183<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":75273,"section_number":"54.1-3225","catch_line":"Certification to perform laser surgery","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-3225\/"},{"id":86600,"section_number":"54.1-3800","catch_line":"Practice of veterinary medicine","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-3800\/"}],"permalink":{"id":241117,"object_type":"law","relational_id":72970,"identifier":"54.1-2400.01:1","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400.01_1","url":"\/54.1-2400.01_1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-2400.01_1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/24\/54.1-2400.01_1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Surgery defined; who may perform surgery","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-2400.01:1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"A\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">A.<\/span> For the purposes of this subtitle, except as used in Chapter 38 (&#xA7; <a class=\"law\" title=\"Practice of veterinary medicine\" href=\"\/54.1-3800\/\">54.1-3800<\/a> et seq.) related to veterinary medicine, &#8220;<span class=\"dictionary\">surgery<\/span>&#8221; means the structural alteration of the human body by the incision or cutting into of tissue for the purpose of diagnostic or therapeutic treatment of conditions or disease processes by any instrument causing localized alteration or transposition of live human tissue, but does not include the following: procedures for the removal of superficial foreign bodies from the human body, punctures, injections, dry needling, acupuncture, or removal of dead tissue. For the purposes of this section, incision shall not mean the scraping or brushing of live tissue. <a id=\"paragraph-262823\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/54.1-2400.01_1\/#A\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"B\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">B.<\/span> No person shall perform <span class=\"dictionary\">surgery<\/span> unless he is (i) licensed by the Board of Medicine as a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or podiatry; (ii) licensed by the Board of Dentistry as a doctor of dentistry; (iii) jointly licensed by the Boards of Medicine and Nursing as an advanced practice registered nurse; (iv) a physician assistant acting under the supervision of a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or podiatry; (v) a licensed midwife in the performance of episiotomies during childbirth; (vi) licensed by the Board of Optometry as an optometrist and certified to perform laser <span class=\"dictionary\">surgery<\/span> pursuant to &#xA7; <a class=\"law\" title=\"Certification to perform laser surgery\" href=\"\/54.1-3225\/\">54.1-3225<\/a>; or (vii) acting pursuant to the <span class=\"dictionary\">orders<\/span> and under the appropriate supervision of a licensed doctor of medicine, osteopathy, podiatry, or dentistry. <a id=\"paragraph-262824\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/54.1-2400.01_1\/#B\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section id=\"C\"><p><span class=\"prefix-number\">C.<\/span> Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict, limit, change, or expand the scope of practice in effect on January 1, 2012, of any profession licensed by any of the health regulatory boards within the Department of Health Professions. <a id=\"paragraph-262825\" class=\"section-permalink\" href=\"https:\/\/vacode.org\/54.1-2400.01_1\/#C\"><i class=\"fa fa-link\"><\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSURGERY DEFINED; WHO MAY PERFORM SURGERY (\u00a7 54.1-2400.01:1)\n\nA. For the purposes of this subtitle, except as used in Chapter 38 (&#xA7;\n54.1-3800 et seq.) related to veterinary medicine, &#8220;surgery&#8221; means\nthe structural alteration of the human body by the incision or cutting into of\ntissue for the purpose of diagnostic or therapeutic treatment of conditions or\ndisease processes by any instrument causing localized alteration or\ntransposition of live human tissue, but does not include the following:\nprocedures for the removal of superficial foreign bodies from the human body,\npunctures, injections, dry needling, acupuncture, or removal of dead tissue. For\nthe purposes of this section, incision shall not mean the scraping or brushing\nof live tissue.\n\nB. No person shall perform surgery unless he is (i) licensed by the Board of\nMedicine as a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or podiatry; (ii) licensed by the\nBoard of Dentistry as a doctor of dentistry; (iii) jointly licensed by the\nBoards of Medicine and Nursing as an advanced practice registered nurse; (iv) a\nphysician assistant acting under the supervision of a doctor of medicine,\nosteopathy, or podiatry; (v) a licensed midwife in the performance of\nepisiotomies during childbirth; (vi) licensed by the Board of Optometry as an\noptometrist and certified to perform laser surgery pursuant to &#xA7; 54.1-3225;\nor (vii) acting pursuant to the orders and under the appropriate supervision of\na licensed doctor of medicine, osteopathy, podiatry, or dentistry.\n\nC. Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict, limit, change, or\nexpand the scope of practice in effect on January 1, 2012, of any profession\nlicensed by any of the health regulatory boards within the Department of Health\nProfessions.\n\nHISTORY: 2012, cc. 15, 124; 2022, cc. 16, 17; 2023, c. 183.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}