译文如下：
病人们总是相信自己并不需要做手术；做手术就意味着在身体上挨刀子,而不是吃药治疗.
本世纪头几年,并没有专业化的外科手术.as opposed to 是什么意思as opposed to 和instead of 一样的意思。“与。。。相反”或者“而不是。。。”
比如
I want to go to the park as opposed to the concert.
我想去公园 而不是去音乐会
Patient do not often believe that they reall need surgery—cutting into part of the body as opposed to treatment with drug.
In the early year of the century there was little specialization in surgery.