-ostomy
surgical creation of an opening
From Greek stoma, mouth, opening, with the linking vowel o
Meaning
What does -ostomy mean?
-ostomy is a suffix meaning surgical creation of an opening. It comes from Greek stoma, mouth, opening, with the linking vowel o.
Inside words it is spelled stomy.
The word also names the opening itself (the stoma): a colostomy is both the operation and the opening on the belly.
In real words
Medical words with -ostomy
an opening from the colon through the abdominal wall that gives waste a new way out of the body
an opening from the ileum through the abdominal wall that gives waste a new way out of the body
surgery to make an opening (stoma) into the windpipe; the opening itself is also called a tracheostomy
surgery that makes an opening into the stomach through the abdominal wall, often for a feeding tube
surgery that makes an opening into the jejunum from outside the body, often for a feeding tube
surgery that places small hollow ear tubes in the eardrum so the middle ear can drain and air pressure can equalize
surgery that makes a channel from the appendix to the abdominal wall to give access to the colon
surgery that makes an opening into the gallbladder through the abdominal wall, usually to drain it
Don't mix it up
Parts easily confused with -ostomy
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- Suffixes – Medical Terminology: An Interactive Approach
- -STOMY Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
- -stomy - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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Surgery
-ostomy is one of 9 parts in this lesson. Learn them together, then take real words apart.
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