List of surgical procedures

List of common surgery terms

Prefixes

• mono- : one, from the Greek μόνος, monos, "only, single"
• angio- : related to a blood vessel, from the Greek αγγήϊον angḗïon, "vessel", "container", "pot"
• arthr- : related to a joint, from the Greek άρθρον, árthron, "joint"
• bi- : two, from the Latin prefix *bi, meaning "two".
• colono- : related to large intestine colon, from the latin cōlon, "clause [of a poem]", itself from the Greek κωλον, cōlon, "clause, member, part"
• colpo- : related to the vagina, from the Ancient Greek κόλπος, cólpos, meaning "hollow space", but also a synonym for "womb"
• cysto- : related to the bladder, from the Greek κύστις, cústis, "bladder, pouch"
• encephal- : related to the brain, from the Ancient Greek εγκέφαλος, enchéphalos itself from εν, en, "in", and κεφαλή, kephalḗ, meaning 'head'.
• gastr- : related to stomach, from the Greek γαστήρ, gastḗr, "stomach"
• hepat- : related to the liver, from the latin hēpatītis, from the latin hēpar, Greek loanword, originally ηπαρ, hēpar, meaning "liver"
• hyster- : related to the uterus, from Neo-Latin hysteria, itself ultimately from the Greek ύστέρα, hústéra, 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.
• lobo- : related to a lobe (of the brain or lungs), from the latin lobo, ablative declension of lobus, itself from the Greek λοβός, lobós, "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 múskulos, "little mouse", so called because the Greeks believed that muscles looked like little mice.
• nephro- : related to the kidney from the Greek νεφρόν, nephrón, accusative declension of νεφρός, kidney
• oophor- : related to the ovary, from ωοφόρος, oophóros, meaning "egg-bearing"
• orchid- : related to the testicles, from the latin orchis, itself from the Greek όρχις, órchis, 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 rinós, genitive declension of ρίς rís, "nose"
• thoraco- : related to the chest
• vas- : related to a duct, usually the vas deferens, from the latin vas, 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