Life Science Dictionary10 terms

Surgery Terms

Surgery treats disease and injury by operating on the body. These terms cover conditions that often need an operation, such as appendicitis and hernia, common procedures, how wounds are closed and cleaned, how bleeding is controlled, and how infection and pain are prevented.

/

A

AnesthesiaSurgeryAnesthesia is a medically induced loss of sensation or awareness, produced by drugs called anesthetics, that prevents pain during surgery and other procedures.
AppendicitisSurgeryAppendicitis is inflammation of the appendix, the small pouch off the large intestine, and the most common reason for emergency abdominal surgery.
Aseptic techniqueMicrobiologyAseptic technique is the set of practices that keeps microbes from contaminating sterile materials, cultures or a patient's tissues during a procedure.

C

CholecystectomySurgeryA cholecystectomy is an operation to remove the gallbladder, most often because gallstones are causing pain, inflammation or blocked bile flow.

D

DebridementSurgeryDebridement is the removal of dead, damaged or infected tissue and foreign material from a wound so that the healthy tissue beneath can heal.

H

L

LaparoscopySurgeryLaparoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that passes a thin camera, the laparoscope, through a small cut to view and operate inside the abdomen or pelvis.

S

Keep going

Practice Surgery

Free surgery quizzes, with an explanation for every answer.

See the Quizzes