medical procedure

/ˈmɛdɪkəl prəˈsidʒər/

/ˈmɛdɪkəl prəˈsidʒə/

Other forms: medical procedures

Definitions of medical procedure

1. noun

   a procedure employed by medical or dental practitioners
   types:

   operation, surgery, surgical operation, surgical procedure, surgical process

   a medical procedure involving an incision with instruments; performed to repair damage or arrest disease in a living body

   dental procedure

   a procedure employed by a dentist

   catheterisation, catheterization

   the operation of introducing a catheter into the body

   ablation, cutting out, excision, extirpation

   surgical removal of a body part or tissue

   amputation

   a surgical removal of all or part of a limb

   angioplasty

   an operation to repair a damaged blood vessel or unblock a coronary artery

   arthroplasty

   surgical reconstruction or replacement of a malformed or degenerated joint

   arthroscopy

   a minimally invasive operation to repair a damaged joint; the surgeon examines the joint with an arthroscope while making repairs through a small incision

   brain surgery

   any surgical procedure involving the brain

   castration

   surgical removal of the testes or ovaries (usually to inhibit hormone secretion in cases of breast cancer in women or prostate cancer in men)

   cauterisation, cauterization, cautery

   the act of coagulating blood and destroying tissue with a hot iron or caustic agent or by freezing

   chemosurgery

   use of chemical to destroy diseased or malignant tissue; used in treatment of skin cancer

   craniotomy

   a surgical opening through the skull

   cryosurgery

   the use of extreme cold (usually liquid nitrogen) to destroy unwanted tissue (warts or cataracts or skin cancers)

   curettage, curettement

   surgery to remove tissue or growths from a bodily cavity (as the uterus) by scraping with a curette

   debridement

   surgical removal of foreign material and dead tissue from a wound in order to prevent infection and promote healing

   decortication

   removal of the outer covering of an organ or part

   D and C, dilatation and curettage, dilation and curettage

   a surgical procedure usually performed under local anesthesia in which the cervix is dilated and the endometrial lining of the uterus is scraped with a curet; performed to obtain tissue samples or to stop prolonged bleeding or to remove small tumors or to remove fragments of placenta after childbirth or as a method of abortion

   electrosurgery

   surgery performed with electrical devices (as in electrocautery)

   enterostomy, enterotomy

   surgical operation that creates a permanent opening through the abdominal wall into the intestine

   enucleation

   surgical removal of something without cutting into it

   wrong-site surgery

   a surgical operation performed on the wrong part of the body

   evisceration

   surgical removal of an organ (or the contents of an organ) from a patient

   exenteration

   surgical removal of the organs within a body cavity (as those of the pelvis)

   eye operation, eye surgery

   any surgical procedure involving the eyes

   fenestration

   surgical procedure that creates a new fenestra to the cochlea in order to restore hearing lost because of osteosclerosis

   gastrectomy

   surgical removal of all or part of the stomach

   gastroenterostomy

   surgical creation of an opening between the stomach wall and the small intestines; performed when the normal opening has been eliminated

   gastrostomy

   surgical creation of an opening through the abdominal wall into the stomach (as for gastrogavage)

   heart surgery

   any surgical procedure involving the heart

   haemorrhoidectomy, hemorrhoidectomy

   surgical procedure for tying hemorrhoids and excising them

   hysterotomy

   surgical incision into the uterus (as in cesarean section)

   implantation

   a surgical procedure that places something in the human body

   intestinal bypass

   surgical operation that shortens the small intestine; used in treating obesity

   jejunostomy

   surgical creation of an opening between the jejunum and the anterior abdominal wall; will allow artificial feeding

   major surgery

   any surgical procedure that involves anesthesia or respiratory assistance

   microsurgery

   surgery using operating microscopes and miniaturized precision instruments to perform intricate procedures on very small structures

   minor surgery

   any surgical procedure that does not involve anesthesia or respiratory assistance

   myotomy

   surgical incision or division of a muscle

   myringectomy

   surgical removal of the eardrum

   myringoplasty

   surgical repair of a perforated eardrum with a tissue graft

   myringotomy

   surgical incision into the eardrum (to relieve pressure or release pus from the middle ear)

   neurosurgery

   any surgery that involves the nervous system (brain or spinal cord or peripheral nerves)

   orchiopexy

   operation to bring an undescended testicle into the scrotum

   osteotomy

   surgical sectioning of bone

   ostomy

   surgical procedure that creates an artificial opening for the elimination of bodily wastes

   PPP, UPPP, palatopharyngoplasty, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty

   surgical resection of unnecessary palatal and oropharyngeal tissue to open the airway; intended to cure extreme cases of snoring (with or without sleep apnea)

   phlebectomy

   surgical removal or all or part of a vein; sometimes done in cases of severe varicose veins

   photocoagulation

   surgical procedure that uses an intense laser beam to destroy diseased retinal tissue or to make a scar that will hold the retina in cases of detached retina

   anaplasty, plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery

   surgery concerned with therapeutic or cosmetic reformation of tissue

   polypectomy

   surgical removal of a polyp

   resection

   surgical removal of part of a structure or organ

   rhinotomy

   surgical procedure in which an incision is made in the nose to drain accumulated pus

   rhizotomy

   surgical procedure in which spinal nerve roots are cut; done (anterior roots) to relieve intractable pain or (posterior roots) to stop severe muscle spasms

   sex-change operation, transsexual surgery

   surgical procedures and hormonal treatments designed to alter a person's sexual characteristics so that the resemble those of the opposite sex

   Shirodkar's operation, purse-string operation

   a surgical procedure in which a suture is used to close the cervix in a pregnant woman; is performed when the cervix has failed to retain previous pregnancies

   sterilisation, sterilization

   the act of making an organism barren or infertile (unable to reproduce)

   strabotomy

   the surgical operation of cutting a muscle or tendon of the eye in order to correct strabismus

   taxis

   the surgical procedure of manually restoring a displaced body part

   tracheostomy, tracheotomy

   a surgical operation that creates an opening into the trachea with a tube inserted to provide a passage for air; performed when the pharynx is obstructed by edema or cancer or other causes

   organ transplant, transplant, transplantation

   an operation moving an organ from one organism (the donor) to another (the recipient)

   trephination

   an operation that removes a circular section of bone from the skull

   tympanoplasty

   surgical correction or repair of defects or injuries in the eardrum or the bones of the middle ear

   uranoplasty

   surgical correction of a defect of the palate

   vasovasostomy

   a surgical procedure that attempts to restore the function of the vas deferens after a vasectomy

   vivisection

   the act of operating on living animals (especially in scientific research)

   type of:

   procedure, process

   a particular course of action intended to achieve a result