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What’s the difference between an -ectomy, an -ostomy, and an -otomy? (1986)

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Re: What’s the difference between an -ectomy, an -ostomy, and an -otomy? (1986)

#11

Post by deathanatos »

spapas82 wrote: post #6

Well in greek - τομή means cut, incision - εκ-τομη is out+cut (ie remove) - στομία, is from στόμιο which means mouthpiece

Your comment reminds me of my rhetoric professor, who was Greek, and who once expressed to us that memorizing the terms in our lesson should be easy, since they were literally just the words themselves.

Of course, it was all Greek to me.

Re: What’s the difference between an -ectomy, an -ostomy, and an -otomy? (1986)

#14

Post by camillomiller »

acheron wrote: post #3

When I was a newborn I had a "pyloromyotomy", wherein they cut the pyloric muscle. As I understand it, an -otomy is cutting something, a -myotomy is specifically cutting a muscle.

Yep, from mys, muscle and mouse (because the movement of the muscle reminds the sudden movements of mice). Fibromyalgia -> Muscle Fiber Pain.

Re: What’s the difference between an -ectomy, an -ostomy, and an -otomy? (1986)

#16

Post by romanhn »

deathanatos wrote: post #11
spapas82 wrote: post #6

Well in greek - τομή means cut, incision - εκ-τομη is out+cut (ie remove) - στομία, is from στόμιο which means mouthpiece

Your comment reminds me of my rhetoric professor, who was Greek, and who once expressed to us that memorizing the terms in our lesson should be easy, since they were literally just the words themselves. Of course, it was all Greek to me.

Memorizing a large amount of Greek and Latin word roots was my superpower when I was studying for the SATs. I could decipher a large chunk of words even if I've never seen them before.

Re: What’s the difference between an -ectomy, an -ostomy, and an -otomy? (1986)

#17

Post by aatd86 »

deathanatos wrote: post #11
spapas82 wrote: post #6

Well in greek - τομή means cut, incision - εκ-τομη is out+cut (ie remove) - στομία, is from στόμιο which means mouthpiece

Your comment reminds me of my rhetoric professor, who was Greek, and who once expressed to us that memorizing the terms in our lesson should be easy, since they were literally just the words themselves. Of course, it was all Greek to me.

Given your username, seems to have stuck. ;o)

Re: What’s the difference between an -ectomy, an -ostomy, and an -otomy? (1986)

#18

Post by madeofpalk »

mmastrac wrote: post #2

In pop culture, there's a very common mixup between tracheotomy (the actual incision or cut made into the trachea) and tracheostomy (the overall procedure involving the creation of the hole, aka stoma).

I've been watching through Greys Anatomy all year, and eventually they just shorten it to trach', which covers both I guess!

Re: What’s the difference between an -ectomy, an -ostomy, and an -otomy? (1986)

#19

Post by stapedium »

m463 wrote: post #10
mmastrac wrote: post #2

In pop culture, there's a very common mixup between tracheotomy (the actual incision or cut made into the trachea) and tracheostomy (the overall procedure involving the creation of the hole, aka stoma).

So I guess tracheology is the study of throats, and tracheaectomy is what werewolves would do.

To make even more confusing, laryngology is the surgical specialty you would go see for a tracheal issue in the neck. (where a trach is performed) And a head and neck surgeon (oncologic surgery) is the one that performs the most laryngectomies. Fricken otolaryngologists…isnt the one name complicated enough.
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