History Main / LikeASurgeon

->'''Ray''': "Washcloth."
->'''Slimer''': "Washcloth."
->'''Peter Venkman''': "Powder."
->'''Slimer''': "Powder!"
->'''Ray''': ''(after a bit of coughing and sneezing from everyone)'' "Fresh diaper."
->'''Slimer''': "Fresh diaper."
->'''Ray''': "Okay, I think we can close it up now."
->'''Peter Venkman''': "Congratulations, gentlemen; the operation was a success!"
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters'', "Three Men and an Egon"

* The "doctor" (Despite the quotations, it can be a real doctor.) calls out to another character for tools the way a real one would for surgical instruments. One or more of the items might be a NoodleImplement.

* Sid from Creator/{{Pixar}}'s ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' gets his mitts on his little sister's humanoid doll, and takes it to his room. There, Sid dons a surgical mask and latex gloves, and puts the doll in a bench vice. Sid claims (to no one in particular) that he's about to attempt a double brain transplant. The result is Hannah getting back a mishmash with a pretty dress and a pteranodon head, which makes her shriek and flee.

[[/folder]]

* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'': On Simon's birthday, the crew (mainly Kaylee) surprise him with a cake. As Simon's a surgeon, Kaylee jokingly asks him to make the first incision. Sadly, an explosion cripples the ship before he can blow out the candles. [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse It's not known what happened to the cake.]]

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/like_a_surgeon.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"My mommy read me the Hippopotamus Oath and everything. I'm a Toyologist."]]

* On ''Series/{{Friends}}'' ("The One With Ross's New Girlfriend") Monica wants Phoebe to cut her hair. Phoebe doesn't want to do it because she knows how OCD Monica is. Finally Phoebe agrees to do it, too bad she was confused as to which celebrity Monica wanted to look like. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jas4wS1a2yc The aftermath is treated like family members questioning a doctor after surgery...]]

* In a ''Series/HarryHillsTVBurp'' sketch, Harry makes fun of the prop patient in a surgery scene on ''Series/HolbyCity'', saying it looks like a brown PVC sofa. Then he gets a phone call telling him a bottle of ketchup has been dropped down the back of his brown PVC sofa, and the sofa is rushed into theatre. [[ParodyAssistance By the actors from ''Holby City'', no less.]]
* ''Series/SchoolOfRock'': In "Minimum Wage", Tomika gets a job at Sumner's favourite store 'Totally Cute'. The other sales clerks hold her down while the head sales clerk Cricket conducts a makeover on her: calling out "crimper", "Glitter spray", etc, like surgeon.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'': In "Doctor Susie", Susie "operates" on various toys, but the trope doesn't really come into play until Angelica's doll, Cynthia, is broken. Angelica paces outside while Susie calls out to the other babies (who now have diapers on their faces and heads meant to look like surgical masks and caps) for tools such as glue while saying things like "We're losing her!" Luckily, the "surgery" is a success.

[[folder:AnimeAndManga]]

[[folder:ComicBooks]]
* One ComicBook/{{Batman}} comic has a borderline example, with the Ventriloquist and his one loyal {{Mook}} Rhino repairing [[DemonicDummy Scarface]]. For the most part it's played like a straightforward surgery on a flesh-and-blood mafioso, though at one point Scarface {{Lampshades}} Rhino's constantly repeating the name of every tool the Ventriloquist asks for.

[[folder:ComicStrips]]
* [[https://www.pinterest.co.kr/pin/178032991493627432/ This]] ComicStrip/RedAndRover strip has Red playing TabletopGame/{{Operation}} while wearing a mask and gloves. Unfortunately, performing CPR on the patient doesn't go well.

[[folder:Films - Animated]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch'', the titular characters need to distract Jumba, who is invading their home, so Stitch implants a bomb in Lilo's doll. Lilo holds a scuba diving regulator to the doll's face, mimicking an anesthetic mask. As Stitch holds out his hand for tools, Lilo hands Stitch pliers and a screwdriver while announcing what the tools are.

[[folder:Films - LiveAction]]
* Film/PeterPan: After a battle, a medicine man from Tiger Lily's tribe is shown chanting while sewing up an injured victim, which is soon revealed to be a teddy bear.
* In Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry, the modification of a torpedo to target a cloaked ship is treated like a surgery, mainly to justify [=McCoy=] assisting Spock with it and to toss in some jokes.

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]
* ''Series/WayneAndShuster'' did a parody of ''Series/MarcusWelbyMD'' called "Welby Marcus, Master Mechanic". It ends with Welby and his performing an emergency repair on a car engine that is treated with all of the drama and urgency of surgery on the show they were parodying.
* On Friends ("The One With Ross's New Girlfriend") Monica wants Phoebe to cut her hair. Phoebe doesn't want to do it because she knows how OCD Monica is. Finally Phoebe agrees to do it, too bad she was confused as to which celebrity Monica wanted to look like. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jas4wS1a2yc The aftermath is treated like family members questioning a doctor after surgery...]]
--->'''Rachel:''' How is she?
--->'''Phoebe:''' It's too soon to tell. She's resting, which is a good sign.
--->'''Ross:''' How's the hair?
--->'''Phoebe:''' I'm not gonna lie to you, Ross. It doesn't look good. I put a clip on one side, which seems to have stopped the curling.
--->'''Joey:''' Well, can we see her?
--->'''Phoebe:''' Your hair looks too good, I think it would upset her.

* In a ''Series/HarryHillsTVBurp'' sketch, Harry makes fun of the prop patient in a surgery scene on ''Series/HolbyCity'', saying it looks like a brown PVC sofa. Then he gets a phone call telling him a bottle of ketchup has been dropped down the back of his brown PVC sofa, and the sofa is rushed into theatre. [[ParodyAssistance By the actors from Holby City, no less.]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'': In one episode, Susie "operates" on various toys, but the trope doesn't really come into play until Angelica's doll, Cynthia, is broken. Angelica paces outside while Susie calls out to the other babies (who now have diapers on their faces and heads meant to look like surgical masks and caps) for tools such as glue while saying things like "We're losing her!" Luckily, the "surgery" is a success.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheReplacements'': Riley getting a makeover before the school dance is treated this way, with the stylist wearing a mask and calling out for his tools one by one. When he's finished, he says, "We've done all we can." Mr. Daring, who was pacing outside, asks "How is she?" to which he says solemnly, "I'm not going to lie to you, Mr. Daring...(happier voice) she is beautiful!"

* WesternAnimation/PepperAnn: In "Manly Milo," Milo has an ImagineSpot about himself in an operating room with PA and Nikki as the doctors. Instead of performing surgery, though, they are trying to make him more stereotypically masculine.
-->"Pepper Ann:" "Clean socks?! How can he be a guy with clean socks?"

* ''WesternAnimation/SillySymphonies'': Near the end of ''Broken Toys'', a surgery situation plays out when the toys are sewing button eyes onto a blind doll.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' cartoon "Baby Puss", Tom is playing baby for a little girl when Butch and the other alley cats show up and decide to make fun of him. When they change Tom's diaper, they treat it as if it were surgery, with Butch as the surgeon and the smallest cat administering "anesthetic" with a mallet to the head.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'': In the episode "Desperately Seeking Stanley", Arthur learns that the girl he sold his childhood plush bear Stanley to has in turn sold Stanley to the rambunctious and destructive Tibble Twins. While on his way to the twins' house, Arthur has a fantasy that the Tibble twins are standing over an operating table and wearing surgical gowns and masks, making comments such as "One more snip...There!" only to reveal that Stanley has had all his stuffing removed by the twins.

It might be this trope if:

If grieving occurs afterwards, it might be MourningAnObject. If doctors are using NoodleImplements in a real surgery, that's MeatgrinderSurgery. Compare NotReallyABirthScene and NotSoDire.

The TropeNamer is Music/WeirdAlYankovic's parody of Music/{{Madonna}}'s song, "Like A Virgin", which isn't really an example.

* One ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' comic has a borderline example, with the Ventriloquist and his one loyal {{Mook}} Rhino repairing [[DemonicDummy Scarface]]. For the most part it's played like a straightforward surgery on a flesh-and-blood mafioso, though at one point Scarface {{Lampshades}} Rhino's constantly repeating the name of every tool the Ventriloquist asks for.

* [[https://www.pinterest.co.kr/pin/178032991493627432/ This]] ''ComicStrip/RedAndRover'' strip has Red playing TabletopGame/{{Operation}} while wearing a mask and gloves. Unfortunately, performing CPR on the patient doesn't go well.

* ''Film/PeterPan'': After a battle, a medicine man from Tiger Lily's tribe is shown chanting while sewing up an injured victim, which is soon revealed to be a teddy bear.
* In ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'', the modification of a torpedo to target a cloaked ship is treated like a surgery, mainly to justify [=McCoy=] assisting Spock with it and to toss in some jokes.
-->'''[=McCoy=]:''' We've got a heartbeat!

* On ''Series/{{Friends}}'' ("The One With Ross's New Girlfriend") Monica wants Phoebe to cut her hair. Phoebe doesn't want to do it because she knows how OCD Monica is. Finally Phoebe agrees to do it, too bad she was confused as to which celebrity Monica wanted to look like. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jas4wS1a2yc The aftermath is treated like family members questioning a doctor after surgery...]]
-->'''Rachel:''' How is she?\\
'''Phoebe:''' It's too soon to tell. She's resting, which is a good sign.\\
'''Ross:''' How's the hair?\\
'''Phoebe:''' I'm not gonna lie to you, Ross. It doesn't look good. I put a clip on one side, which seems to have stopped the curling.\\
'''Joey:''' Well, can we see her?\\
'''Phoebe:''' Your hair looks too good, I think it would upset her.
* Happens in the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "I, Mudd", when Mudd pretends to set up an explosive to confuse Norman. [=McCoy=] plays the dutiful assistant.
-->'''Mudd:''' Detonator! Fuse! Primer! Mashie![[note]]A type of golf club similar to a 5 or 6-iron[[/note]]

[[folder:VisualNovel]]
* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'': When former-surgeon-turned-butler Pierce Nichody takes the stand, the shoulder-mounted multitool he had been wearing breaks and he begins "operating" on it right there at the witness stand, complete with scalpel and surgical mask. [[spoiler:When Phoenix successfully [[ThePerryMasonMethod proves him to be the real murderer]], he begins suffering a nervous breakdown, represented as him making surgical errors and losing the "patient" on the table, complete with a non-diegetic flatlining cardiogram in the background.]]
[[/folder]]

* ''WesternAnimation/PepperAnn'': In "Manly Milo," Milo has an ImagineSpot about himself in an operating room with PA and Nikki as the doctors. Instead of performing surgery, though, they are trying to make him more stereotypically masculine.
-->'''Pepper Ann''': "Clean socks?! How can he be a guy with clean socks?"

* ''WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends'': In one ''US Acres'' segment, Wade has an ImagineSpot where he sees Roy and Orson as doctors trying to save something. It starts with the usual surgery tools before they start adding vegetables until finally panning back to reveal they were trying to fix the flavor of a pot of soup.
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'': The episode [[Recap/KimPossibleS4E8ClothesMinded "Clothes Minded"]] begins with a fight in which Kim gets caught in a blast of steam. Cut to Kim's mother declaring that there's nothing she can do and Ron desperately asking if she can sew up the damage, followed by the reveal that Kim's mother is performing surgery on somebody else and Ron is asking if she can repair Kim's damaged mission outfit.

If grieving occurs afterwards, it might be MourningAnObject. If doctors are using NoodleImplements in a real surgery, that's MeatgrinderSurgery. Compare NotReallyABirthScene.

The TropeNamer is Music/WeirdAlYankovic's parody of Music/{{Madonna}}'s song, "Like A Virgin."

'''Ross:''' How's the hair?
--->'''Phoebe:''' I'm not gonna lie to you, Ross. It doesn't look good. I put a clip on one side, which seems to have stopped the curling.\\

-->"Pepper Ann:" "Clean socks?! How can he be a guy with clean socks?"

* One ComicBook/{{Batman}} comic has a borderline example, with the Ventriloquist and his one loyal {{Mook}} Rhino repairing [[DemonicDummy Scarface]]. For the most part it's played like a straightforward surgery on a flesh-and-blood mafioso, though at one point Scarface {{Lampshades}} Rhino's constantly repeating the name of every tool the Ventriloquist asks for.

* [[https://www.pinterest.co.kr/pin/178032991493627432/ This]] ComicStrip/RedAndRover strip has Red playing TabletopGame/{{Operation}} while wearing a mask and gloves. Unfortunately, performing CPR on the patient doesn't go well.

* Film/PeterPan: After a battle, a medicine man from Tiger Lily's tribe is shown chanting while sewing up an injured victim, which is soon revealed to be a teddy bear.
* In Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry, the modification of a torpedo to target a cloaked ship is treated like a surgery, mainly to justify [=McCoy=] assisting Spock with it and to toss in some jokes.

* On Friends ("The One With Ross's New Girlfriend") Monica wants Phoebe to cut her hair. Phoebe doesn't want to do it because she knows how OCD Monica is. Finally Phoebe agrees to do it, too bad she was confused as to which celebrity Monica wanted to look like. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jas4wS1a2yc The aftermath is treated like family members questioning a doctor after surgery...]]
--->'''Rachel:''' How is she?
--->'''Phoebe:''' It's too soon to tell. She's resting, which is a good sign.
--->'''Ross:''' How's the hair?
--->'''Phoebe:''' I'm not gonna lie to you, Ross. It doesn't look good. I put a clip on one side, which seems to have stopped the curling.
--->'''Joey:''' Well, can we see her?
--->'''Phoebe:''' Your hair looks too good, I think it would upset her.

* WesternAnimation/PepperAnn: In "Manly Milo," Milo has an ImagineSpot about himself in an operating room with PA and Nikki as the doctors. Instead of performing surgery, though, they are trying to make him more stereotypically masculine.

Examples:

[[folder:Films-Animated]]

[[folder:Films-LiveAction]]

* In Film/StarTrekVI:TheUndiscoveredCountry, the modification of a torpedo to target a cloaked ship is treated like a surgery, mainly to justify McCoy assisting Spock with it and to toss in some jokes.