Chapter 38
Surgery performed with the goal of eliminating a disease or correcting a condition.
Curative surgery
Protrusion of internal organs, usually abdominal organs, through an opened surgical wound; a surgical emergency.
Evisceration
Inflammation of a vein associated with a blood clot.
Thrombophlebitis
Surgery performed to restore or improve the structure, appearance, or function of a body part affected by injury, disease, or a birth defect.
Reconstructive surgery
A slowing or stopping of intestinal movement that prevents contents from moving normally through the bowel, without a physical blockage.
Paralytic ileus
Collapse or incomplete expansion of the lung’s air sacs, affecting part or all of a lung and reducing gas exchange.
Atelectasis
Awake and aware of oneself and the surroundings, with the ability to respond to stimuli.
Conscious
Material, such as a detached blood clot, fat, or air, that travels through the bloodstream and can lodge in and block a blood vessel.
Embolus
Surgery performed to reduce the risk of developing a disease or future complication; also called preventive or prophylactic surgery.
Preventative surgery
A medically induced loss of sensation, especially pain, during a procedure. Depending on the type, the patient may remain conscious or become unconscious.
Anesthesia
Relating to the entire surgical experience, including the periods before, during, and after surgery.
Perioperative
Describing a procedure that can be scheduled in advance because it does not require immediate emergency treatment. Elective surgery may still be medically necessary.
Elective
A transfusion in which a patient receives their own blood, collected before surgery or recovered during or after surgery.
Autologous transfusion
Partial or complete separation of the layers of a previously closed surgical wound.
Dehiscence
An infection of the lungs that causes inflammation and may cause the air sacs to fill with fluid or pus.
Preventative surgery
A device that produces a concentrated beam of light used in surgery to cut, destroy, or seal tissue.
Laser
Unaware of oneself and the surroundings and unable to respond purposefully to stimuli.
Unconscious
Surgery intended to relieve symptoms, improve comfort, or improve quality of life without curing the underlying disease.
Palliative surgery
An artificial device that replaces a missing body part or helps restore its function, such as an artificial limb or joint.
Prosthesis
Formation of a blood clot within a blood vessel, which may partially or completely block blood flow.
Thrombosis
A slowing or stopping of the normal flow of a body fluid, especially blood.
Stasis