Dictionary of surgery

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

the Dictionary of Surgery is an extensive alphabetical listing of terms, procedures, and concepts related to the field of surgical medicine (Surgery). This resource aims to assist students, healthcare professionals, and anyone interested in the surgical field.

A[edit | edit source]

  • Anesthesia - A medical treatment that prevents patients from feeling pain during surgery. It allows the performance of medical procedures that would cause unbearable pain if the patient were fully awake.
  • Appendectomy - A surgical procedure in which the appendix is removed. It is commonly performed to treat appendicitis.

B[edit | edit source]

  • Bariatric surgery - A variety of procedures designed to induce weight loss by modifying the gastrointestinal tract to reduce nutrient intake and/or absorption.
  • Biopsy - The surgical removal of a sample of tissue from the body for examination and diagnosis.

C[edit | edit source]

  • Catheter - A tube that can be inserted into a body cavity, duct, or vessel, allowing drainage, administration of fluids or gases, or access by surgical instruments.
  • Cholecystectomy - The surgical removal of the gallbladder, often due to the presence of gallstones.

D[edit | edit source]

  • Debridement - The medical removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue.
  • Dialysis - A procedure that substitutes the natural function of the kidneys by removing waste and excess substances from the blood when the kidneys are no longer functional.

E[edit | edit source]

  • Endoscopy - A non-surgical procedure used to examine a person's digestive tract using an endoscope, a flexible tube with a light and camera attached to it.

F[edit | edit source]

  • Fasciotomy - A surgical procedure where the fascia is cut to relieve tension or pressure, commonly used to treat the result of compartment syndrome.
  • Fistula - An abnormal connection between two body parts, such as an organ or blood vessel and another structure. Surgery may be required to correct it.

G[edit | edit source]

  • Gastrectomy - The surgical removal of part or all of the stomach.
  • Graft - Any tissue that is transplanted from one part of the body to another, or from one individual to another without bringing its own blood supply with it.

H[edit | edit source]

  • Hemostasis - The process which causes bleeding to stop, meaning to keep blood within a damaged blood vessel. This is the first stage of wound healing.
  • Hernia repair - Surgical correction for hernias, which occur when an organ or fatty tissue squeezes through a weak spot in a surrounding muscle or connective tissue called fascia.

I[edit | edit source]

  • Incision and drainage - A minor surgical procedure to release pus or pressure built up under the skin, such as from an abscess, boil, or infected paranasal sinus.
  • Intubation - The placement of a flexible plastic tube into the trachea to maintain an open airway or to serve as a conduit through which to administer certain drugs.

J[edit | edit source]

  • Joint replacement - A procedure in which parts of an arthritic or damaged joint are removed and replaced with a metal, plastic, or ceramic device called a prosthesis.

K[edit | edit source]

  • Kidney transplant - A surgical procedure to place a healthy kidney from a living or deceased donor into a person whose kidneys no longer function properly.

L[edit | edit source]

  • Laparoscopy - A surgical diagnostic procedure used to examine the organs inside the abdomen. It's a low-risk, minimally invasive procedure that requires only small incisions.

M[edit | edit source]

  • Mastectomy - A surgery to remove all breast tissue from a breast as a way to treat or prevent breast cancer.

N[edit | edit source]

  • Nephrectomy - A surgical procedure to remove all or part of a kidney.
  • Neurosurgery - The medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, surgical treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders that affect any portion of the nervous system.

O[edit | edit source]

P[edit | edit source]

  • Prostatectomy - A surgical procedure for the partial or complete removal of the prostate.
  • Prosthesis - An artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth.

Q[edit | edit source]

  • Quadriceps tendon repair - A surgery to repair the tendon that attaches the quadriceps muscle to the patella and is critical for knee extension.

R[edit | edit source]

  • Rhinoplasty - A surgical procedure for correcting and reconstructing the nose.
  • Robotic surgery - A type of minimally invasive surgery that uses a computer-assisted technology to aid in surgical procedures.

S[edit | edit source]

  • Splenectomy - The surgical procedure that partially or completely removes the spleen.
  • Sterilization (surgical) - A term referring to any procedure that eliminates all forms of life and other biological agents from a specified surface, region, or fluid.

T[edit | edit source]

  • Thoracotomy - An incision into the pleural space of the chest, it is performed by surgeons to gain access to the thoracic organs, most commonly the heart, the lungs, the esophagus, or the thoracic aorta.
  • Tracheostomy - A surgical procedure to create an opening through the neck into the trachea (windpipe).

U[edit | edit source]

  • Urostomy - A surgical procedure that creates a stoma (artificial opening) for the urinary system.
  • Uterectomy - Also known as hysterectomy, is the surgical removal of the uterus, resulting in the inability to become pregnant.

V[edit | edit source]

  • Vasectomy - A surgical procedure for male sterilization or permanent contraception.
  • Ventricular shunt - A surgical procedure that relieves pressure on the brain caused by fluid accumulation.

W[edit | edit source]

  • Wound dehiscence - A surgical complication in which a wound ruptures along a surgical incision.

X[edit | edit source]

Note: X is often not used as a starting character for surgical terms, so this section is typically not included in a standard dictionary.

Y[edit | edit source]

  • YAG laser capsulotomy - A laser surgery procedure used to treat posterior capsule opacification (PCO), which can happen after cataract surgery.

Z[edit | edit source]

  • Zenker's diverticulum - An outpouching of the esophagus that can cause dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), typically treated with a surgical procedure.

List of surgery articles[edit | edit source]


Also see[edit | edit source]

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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD