Dictionary

Surgical

Terms from the operating room and the care of surgical clients.

ethyleneA colorless, flammable gas used to make plastics and other chemicals, including ethylene oxide.

ethylene oxideA gas used at low temperature to sterilize medical items that heat or moisture would damage.

eviscerationThe pushing out of internal organs, usually loops of bowel, through a surgical wound that has come open.

excisionCutting out tissue, such as a growth or damaged area, during surgery.

fasciaA sheet or band of tough connective tissue that covers and separates muscles and organs.

fasciotomySurgery that cuts open the fascia, the tough tissue around a group of muscles, to relieve pressure inside it.

fistulaAn abnormal passage between two organs or vessels, or between an organ and the skin.

fluoroscopyAn x-ray method that shows moving pictures of the inside of the body in real time.

forcepsA hand instrument with two blades or arms used to grasp, hold or pull tissue or objects.

formalinA solution of formaldehyde in water used to preserve tissue specimens for the pathology lab.

general anesthesiaDrug-induced loss of consciousness and feeling over the whole body, so a person feels nothing and is not aware during surgery.

glutaraldehydeA liquid chemical used for high-level disinfection, or sterilization with longer soaking, of heat-sensitive medical devices.

glycopyrrolateAn anticholinergic drug that dries up saliva and airway secretions and keeps the heart rate from falling too low.

graftTissue or a man-made material moved into place in surgery to replace or repair a damaged part.

hematomaA collection of blood, often clotted, that has leaked out of the blood vessels into the tissue.

hemorrhageA large loss of blood from a blood vessel, inside the body or out of it.

hemostasisThe stopping of bleeding, either by the body's own clotting process or by medical or surgical methods.

hemostatA clamp with finger rings and a locking ratchet used in surgery to grasp and close off bleeding vessels.

hemostaticStopping bleeding; also, a product or agent used to stop bleeding.

herniaA bulge of an organ or tissue through a weak spot in the muscle or tissue wall that normally holds it in.

hip fractureA break in the upper part of the thigh bone, near the hip joint.

hypothermiaA body temperature that has fallen below the normal range.

hysterectomySurgery to remove the uterus.

I&DIncision and drainage: cutting open an abscess or collection so pus or fluid can drain out.

ileostomyA surgical opening that brings the end of the ileum through the belly wall, so stool leaves the body there.

ileusA slowing or stopping of the normal movement of the intestines, with nothing physically blocking them.

iliacHaving to do with the ilium, the large, wing-shaped upper part of the hip bone.

implantA device or material placed inside the body, such as an artificial joint, pacemaker or birth control rod.

incentive spirometerA hand-held device that helps a person take slow, deep breaths and shows how much air they breathe in.

incisionA clean cut made through the skin and tissue during surgery.

inductionThe starting of a process on purpose, such as bringing on labor or putting a client under anesthesia.

informed consentA person's agreement to a treatment or procedure, given freely after the risks, benefits and other choices have been explained to them.

insufflationBlowing a gas into a body cavity, such as carbon dioxide into the abdomen during laparoscopic surgery.

intraoperativeHappening during surgery, from when the client is brought into the operating room until they are moved to recovery.

ketamineA dissociative anesthetic drug used for anesthesia, procedural sedation and some kinds of pain.

laparoscopicDone through a few small cuts in the abdomen with a thin camera and long instruments, instead of one large opening.

laparoscopySurgery or an exam done through small cuts in the belly, using a thin, lighted tube with a camera.

laparotomySurgery that opens the abdomen through a large cut to reach the organs inside.

laryngospasmA sudden, involuntary closing of the vocal cords that partly or fully blocks air from entering the lungs.

latexNatural rubber made from the sap of the rubber tree, used in some gloves, catheters and other medical supplies.

latex allergyAn allergic reaction to proteins in natural rubber latex, found in some gloves, catheters and other products.

lithotomyA position lying on the back with the hips and knees bent and the legs raised and spread apart, often in stirrups.

local anesthesiaNumbing medicine applied to or injected into one small area, so a procedure there is not felt while the person stays awake.

local anestheticA drug that blocks feeling in one part of the body without making the person unconscious.

malignant hyperthermiaA rare inherited reaction to certain general anesthesia drugs in which the muscles' metabolism speeds up out of control.

mastectomySurgery to remove all or part of a breast.

Mayo standA small tray on an adjustable stand placed over or beside the patient during surgery to hold the instruments used most often.

medical-surgical unitA hospital unit that cares for adults with many kinds of illness and adults recovering from surgery.

neostigmineA drug that blocks the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, so nerve signals to muscles get stronger.

neuromuscular blocking agentA drug that blocks signals from nerves to skeletal muscles, so the muscles relax completely and cannot move.