List of -ectomies

From WikiMD's Wellnesspedia

The surgical terminology suffix "-ectomy" was taken from Greek εκ-τομια = "act of cutting out". It means surgical removal of something, usually from inside the body.

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  • Iridectomy is the removal of a piece of iris from the eye (mainly done for iris tumours, such as melanoma of the iris).

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  • Keratectomy is the surgical removal of the cornea of the eye.
  • Kyphectomy is a specific surgery on the spine.

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  • Mandibulectomy is the removal of the mandible or the lower jaw bone.
  • Mastectomy is the surgical removal of one or both breasts. A mastectomy can be either partial or complete.
  • Mastoidectomy is the removal of mastoid process.
  • Maxillectomy is the removal of the maxilla or cheekbone. This can sometimes be done with orbital exenteration (removal of the eye and the orbital contents surrounding the eye) or by enucleation (removal of the eyeball).
  • Meniscectomy surgical removal of all or part of a torn meniscus, which common knee joint injury. Partial meniscectomy is preferred by surgeons over total meniscectomy.
  • Myectomy is the removal of a portion of muscle.
  • Myomectomy is the removal of fibroids from the uterus, but the uterus is left intact.

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  • Quadrantectomy is a surgical procedure in which quadrant (approximately one-fourth) of the breast, including tissue surrounding a cancerous tumor, is removed.

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Other uses[edit | edit source]

Sometimes this suffix is used humorously in non-surgical contexts, for example "popculturectomy" for a type of editing process on a text.

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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD