When doctors and nurses talk about surgery, they can sound like they are speaking a foreign language. Instead of hunting for a translator, bone up on surgical terms here (presented to you in plain English).
Ablation defined, surgical ablation explained.
An explanation of abscess. The definition of abscess with examples.
Acute definition. Find out what acute means and why it matters in medicine.
What are adenoids, where are they and what do they do.
Find out what analgesics are and what analgesia means. Learn more about analgesics here.
The surgical term anastamosis explained in detail, with image.
The definition of anesthesiology, including an explanation of the types of anesthesia.
The definition of the word anterior, find out the meaning of anterior.
What exactly is an antibiotic? What do they treat, and what do they not treat? Learn more about antibiotic medications here.
Wondering about anticoagulants and surgery? Learn more about what anticoagulants are and why they are used for surgery patients.
Antifungal drugs are a category of medications. Find out more about antifungals, why they are used, how they are given here.
Learn more about anxiolytic drugs, including why anxiolytic medications are prescribed.
Find out what apnea is, what causes apnea and how apnea is diagnosed.
Artery defined. Learn what artery means and how arterial blood differs from venous blood.
Learn about the different education levels of physicians, including attending, fellow, resident, intern and medical student. Attending Defined. Who is an attending. Do I need an attending? Is an attending better than a non-attending?
What is bacteremia, how is it treated. More about bacteremia, sepsis and septic shock. Bacteremia explained.
The definition of bariatric.
The definition of bilateral. An explanation of the term bilateral.
What is a biopsy, why is a biopsy performed and what is the purpose of a biopsy.
Blood poisoning explained, including what blood poisoning is, how is it treated, who is at risk for blood poisoning.
Explaining what a body mass index means and how it is calculated.
The definition of cardiac.
The definition of cardiothoracic, including surgical specialty and surgical procedures.
What is a catheter and why is it used, find out what a catheter is and why a catheter is used in medicine.
The definition of cervical, what does cervical mean, including cervical vertebrae and a woman's cervix,
The term chronic is explained in detail.
Wondering what a circulating nurse is, and what a circulating nurse does? Learn more about circulating nurse job duties and more.
What is the clitoris and where is it located? Understand the purpose of the clitoris, the location and more.
An explanation of the surgical specialty of colon rectal surgery.
An explanation of the term congenital, including congenital birth defects and congenital diseases.
Definition of coronary arteries
Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) defined
Learn what debridement it, why it is done and the methods used for debridement in and out of surgery.
Find out what a diuretic drug is, how it works and why it is given.
The definition of dumping syndrome.
Learn what a DVT, or deep vein thrombosis is, where they are commonly found and why they are more common after surgery.
What is dyspnea? What does the term dyspnea mean? Find out what dyspnea means.
Endotracheal tube defined
Explaining what an escharotomy is and why this surgical procedure is done for burn patients.
Excise, or excision surgery, explained. Find out what excision means and how it applies to your surgery.
What is a fellow? What is a surgical or medical fellowship? Learn more about how physicians are educated, what it means to be a fellow, and how a surgery fellowship plays a role in the training of new doctors.
Need information about Foley Catheters? Wondering what a foley catheter is, why it is use and how a foley catheter is used? Learn all about Foley Catheters here.
Definition of general anesthesia
The definition of general surgery, with the practice of general surgeons explained.
The definition of gynecology surgery, including the types of procedures performed by surgeons specializing in gynecology.
What is hemorrhage, and when is bleeding technically a hemorrhage, or haemorrhage? Learn more about hemorrhage, how it is treated and when it is a medical emergency.
Hepatic explained in detail.
The definition of the word hernia.
In situ definition, what in situ means.
What exactly is an incision, and why is it necessary? Learn more about surgical incisions.
Inpatient surgery defined.
What is an intern? What kind of doctor is an intern? What does intern mean and why is it important? Find out what you need to know if you are being cared for by an intern.
The definition of intubation, an explanation of why intubation is done and images of intubation.
The definition of jejunum.
The kidneys are very important organs in the human body, without the kidneys a person will require dialysis.
What is the Lap Band and why is it used? Learn about the Lap Band and weight loss surgery.
The definition of laparoscopic surgery
There are several types of anesthesia, local anesthesia is one of the types used for minor procedures.
An explanation of the function of lymph nodes, their location and more.
Malabsorptive weight loss surgery defined.
A mammogram is a test performed to examine breast tissue. Learn more about what a mammogram is, how it is performed and why.
What is a mastectomy and why is a mastectomy performed. The definition of surgical mastectomy.
Maxillofacial surgery defined.
An explanation of microsurgery. What is microsurgery and when is microsurgery appropriate.
Minimally Invasive Surgery. What is it, why is it done, and how is minimally invasive surgery performed?
Learn what an MRI does, how it works and why you might need one.
Necrosis explained in detail, including the cause of necrosis.
An explanation of the term neurosurgery.
The definition of obstetrics, including surgery.
The definition of oncology surgery, or surgical oncology.
The definition of "open" surgery.
What is an operation? What does operation mean? What is the difference between a surgery and an operation? Find out about operations and how to prepare for one.
The definition of ophthalmology, including surgery.
The definition of oral surgery, including the practice of maxillofacial surgery. Includes the types of procedures performed by oral surgeons.
The definition of transplant surgery.
The branch of orthopedic surgery explained.
The definition of Otolaryngology.
Outpatient procedure defined.
Learn more about palliative care and palliative medicine, find out what palliative care is, when it is appropriate and more.
Of all the organs in the human body, the pancreas is one of the least understood. Find out what the pancreas does, where it is and why it is so important.
Learn more about paralytic medications and why they are used.
Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) explained.
What is the definition of patient? Who is a patient? Learn what a patient is, then find more information about being an informed patient.
An explanation of the surgical specialty of pediatric surgery including when an adult may be treated by a pediatric surgeon.
Learn what perioperative means, how long the perioperative period lasts and what happens during the perioperative phase.
The practice of plastic surgery defined, including areas of practice of plastic surgeons. Find out what reconstructive and cosmetic plastic surgery means.
Podiatry explained. What is podiatry, what does a podiatrist do, when do you need a podiatrist.
What does post operative mean? When does the post operative period end? What happens during the post operative phase of surgery? Learn these things and more!
What does preoperative mean? How long is the preoperative phase of surgery? When does the preoperative period end? Find out the definition of preoperative and what you need to know in the preoperative phase of surgery.
Prolapse explained in detail, including uterine prolapse.
What does prophylactic mean? The definition of prophylactic, such as prophylactic mastectomy and prophylactic antibiotics. The definition of prophylactic.
Pulmonary explained in detail
An explanation of the term pus, including what pus is made of, what pus means and why pus is a problem after surgery.
Referred pain explained, learn more about referred pain.
There are several types of anesthesia, regional anesthesia is one type used during minor procedures.
Resection surgery explained in detail. Learn more about surgical resections.
An explanation of the different levels of education for doctors, including medical and surgical residents. Know who is taking care of your healthcare!
The definition of restrictive weight loss surgery.
Rhinoplasty. What is rhinoplasty and what does the word rhinoplasty mean?
Looking for information about nursing careers including scrub nurse jobs? Wondering who will be in the operating room during your surgery? Find out more about scrub nurse jobs and the role they play in the operating room.
Wondering what a scrub tech is, and what a surgical scrub does? Learn about surgical scrub technicians, what they do in surgery and how they function in an operating room.
Sepsis after surgery can be a life-threatening complication. What is sepsis, what causes sepsis and what is done to treat sepsis. Understand when sepsis becomes septic shock and the treatments necessary.
Learn more about sex change surgery, what a sex change surgery is, why it is done and more.
What is a shunt? What does shunting mean? Find out what a shunt it and what shunting means here.
What does the spleen do and how does it function? Find out what the spleen does and why you can live without it.
Surgeon explained. The types of surgeons explained in detail. Learn about surgeons, types of surgeons and more.
The definition of surgery, including what is surgery and what does surgery mean. Learn what surgery includes, what you need to know before having surgery and much more.
Surgical terminology, what does surgical mean? Surgical technology, surgical techniques, surgical procedures. Understand the meaning of surgical.
The definition of surgical sutures.
An explanation of what thoracic surgery is, the structures a thoracic surgeon operates on and more.
An explanation of the term tonsillith or tonsil stone.
What is tonsillitis, what causes tonsillitis and how is it treated.
An explanation of what tonsils do, where they are and what they are.
The definition of the surgical specialty of trauma.
Learn more about tumescent anesthesia, why tumescent anesthesia is used and when it is used.
Twilight Sleep is a commonly used term to describe a type of anesthesia.
What is an ultrasound test, why is it done and how does it work.
The definition of umbilicus, along with how it is created.
The definition of uterus.
An explanation of the term vascular surgery.
Ventilators explained in detail. Why do you need a ventilator, why will a ventilator be used and how does it work.
Learn more about fistulas and how they happen.
