List of surgical procedures
Many surgical procedure names can be broken into parts to indicate the meaning. For example, in gastrectomy, "ectomy" is a suffix meaning the removal of a part of the body. "Gastro-" means stomach. Thus, gastrectomy refers to the surgical removal of the stomach (or sections thereof). "Otomy" means cutting into a part of the body; a gastrotonomy would be cutting into, but not necessarily removing, the stomach. In addition, "pharyngo" means pharynx, "laryngo" means larynx, "esophag" means esophagus. Thus, "pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy" refers to the surgical removal of the three.
The field of minimally invasive surgery has spawned another set of words, such as arthroscopic or laparoscopic surgery. These take the same form as above; an arthroscope is a device which allows the inside of the joint to be seen.
List of common surgery terms
Prefixes
- mono- : one, from the Greek μόνος, Script error: No such module "Lang"., "only, single"
- angio- : related to a blood vessel, from the Greek αγγήϊον Script error: No such module "Lang"., "vessel", "container", "pot"
- arthr- : related to a joint, from the Greek άρθρον, Script error: No such module "Lang"., "joint"
- bi- : two, from the Latin prefix *bi, meaning "two".
- colono- : related to large intestine colon, from the latin Script error: No such module "Lang"., "clause [of a poem]", itself from the Greek κωλον, cōlon, "clause, member, part"
- colpo- : related to the vagina, from the Ancient Greek κόλπος, Script error: No such module "Lang"., meaning "hollow space", but also a synonym for "womb"
- cysto- : related to the bladder, from the Greek κύστις, Script error: No such module "Lang"., "bladder, pouch"
- encephal- : related to the brain, from the Ancient Greek Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang". itself from εν, en, "in", and Script error: No such module "Lang"., Script error: No such module "Lang"., meaning 'head'.
- gastr- : related to stomach, from the Greek γαστήρ, Script error: No such module "Lang"., "stomach"
- hepat- : related to the liver, from the latin Script error: No such module "Lang"., from the latin Script error: No such module "Lang"., Greek loanword, originally ηπαρ, Script error: No such module "Lang"., meaning "liver"
- hyster- : related to the uterus, from Neo-Latin hysteria, itself ultimately from the Greek ύστέρα, Script error: No such module "Lang"., meaning "womb, uterus"
- lamino- : related to the lamina (posterior aspect of vertebra)
- lapar- : related to the abdominal cavity
- Etymology actually refers to soft, fleshy part of abdominal wall. The term celio- is generally considered more accurate and more commonly used in America.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
- lobo- : related to a lobe (of the brain or lungs), from the latin Script error: No such module "Lang"., ablative declension of Script error: No such module "Lang"., itself from the Greek λοβός, Script error: No such module "Lang"., "lobe", "pea-pod"
- mammo- and masto-: related to the breasts, from the latin mammas, "breast", and Greek μάσταζ mástaz, "chewer"
- myo- : related to muscle tissue, from the Greek μυς, mús, from μύσκυλος Script error: No such module "Lang"., "little mouse", so called because the Greeks believed that muscles looked like little mice.
- nephro- : related to the kidney from the Greek νεφρόν, Script error: No such module "Lang"., accusative declension of νεφρός, kidney
- oophor- : related to the ovary, from ωοφόρος, Script error: No such module "Lang"., meaning "egg-bearing"
- orchid- : related to the testicles, from the latin Script error: No such module "Lang"., itself from the Greek όρχις, Script error: No such module "Lang"., meaning "testicle" or sometimes "orchid" so called because the Greeks believed orchid roots looked like testicles.
- rhino- : related to the nose, from the Greek ρινός Script error: No such module "Lang"., genitive declension of ρίς Script error: No such module "Lang"., "nose"
- thoraco- : related to the chest
- vas- : related to a duct, usually the vas deferens, from the latin Script error: No such module "Lang"., meaning "vessel", or "vein"
Suffixes
- -centesis : surgical puncture
- -tripsy : crushing or breaking up
- -desis : fusion of two parts into one, stabilization
- -ectomy : surgical removal (see List of -ectomies). The term 'resection' is also used, especially when referring to a tumor.
- -opsy : looking at
- -oscopy : viewing of, normally with a scope
- -ostomy or -stomy : surgically creating a hole (a new "mouth" or "stoma", from the Greek στόμα (stóma), meaning "body", see List of -ostomies)
- -otomy or -tomy : surgical incision (see List of -otomies)
- -pexy : to fix or secure
- -plasty : to modify or reshape (sometimes entails replacement with a prosthesis), from the Ancient Greek πλάστος, plástos, meaning "molded".
- -rrhaphy : to strengthen, usually with suture
See also
- Cardiac surgery
- Surgical drain
- Endoscopy
- Fluorescence image-guided surgery
- Hypnosurgery
- Jet ventilation
- List of -ectomies
- List of -otomies
- List of -ostomies
- Category:Surgical procedures and techniques