Understand Your Doctor
Dr Vernon Coleman MB ChB DSc FRSA
Here are some tips to help you understand your doctor:
Any medical word that ends in ‘-ectomy’ suggests a removal operation (as in ‘tonsillectomy’ or ‘appendicectomy’).
A word ending in ‘-otomy’ suggests that in incision will be made (as in ‘laparotomy’ which means an incision in the abdomen).
A word ending in ‘-plasty’ suggests a plastic surgery operation (as in ‘mammoplasty’ which means a redesign of breast shape or size).
A word ending in ‘-ostomy’ means that an artificial hole has been made (as in ‘colostomy’ in which a hole is made in the colon).
A word ending ‘-orrhaphy’ means a repair (as in ‘herniorrhaphy’).
A word ending in ‘-oscopy’ usually means that the doctors are having a look at something (as in ‘bronchoscopy’ which means having a look in the main tubes of the lungs and ‘laparoscopy’ which means taking a look inside the abdomen).
Taken from How to Stop Your Doctor Killing You by Vernon Coleman
Copyright Vernon Coleman 2019
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