| open heart surgery | A surgical procedure, known as a coronary artery bypass graft, which involves replacing diseased (narrowed) coronary arteries with veins obtained from the patients lower extremities (autologous graft). During this procedure the patient is placed on a heart bypass machine (heart-lung machine) to allow the surgeon adequate time to perform surgery on the resting (nonbeating) heart. This procedure has proven to extend the lives of individuals with coronary artery disease and improve the quality of life. Recovery in the hospital is approximately 7-10 days. (27 Sep 1997) |
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| oral surgery | The branch of dentistry concerned with the diagnosis and surgical and adjunctive treatment of diseases, injuries, and deformities of the oral and maxillofacial region. (05 Mar 2000) |
| orthognathic surgery | surgical orthodontics |
| orthopaedic surgery | A branch of medicine dealing with the use of surgery to remedy disorders in joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and related structures. (09 Oct 1997) |
| thoracic surgery | <study> A branch of medicine dealing with the use of surgery to treat diseases of the chest and lungs. (09 Oct 1997) |
| ear tube surgery | The removal of fluid (often infected) from the middle ear space by creating a incision in the eardrum. Ear tubes may be placed to maintain chronic drainage for several months. Indicated in cases of chronic or recurrent otitis media. (27 Sep 1997) |
| thoracoscopic surgery | Surgery done using one or more endoscopic instruments. (05 Mar 2000) |
| elective surgery | Surgery which is not needed immediately, i.e., one for a non-life-threatening disorder. (09 Oct 1997) |
| transsexual surgery | Procedures designed to alter a patient's external sexual characteristics so that they resemble those of the other sex. (05 Mar 2000) |
| esthetic surgery | <surgery> Surgery in which the principal purpose is to improve the appearance, usually with the connotation that the improvement sought is beyond the normal appearance, and its acceptable variations, for the age and the ethnic origin of the patient. Synonym: esthetic surgery. (05 Mar 2000) |
| yag laser surgery | <ophthalmology, procedure, surgery> The use of laser light to punch a hole in the iris to relieve intraocular pressure within the eye (for example glaucoma). This surgery is painless and requires no anaesthesia. (27 Sep 1997) |
| keratorefractive surgery | Any procedure in which the shape of the cornea is modified, with the intent of changing the refractive error of the eye; for example, if the cornea is flattened, the eye becomes less myopic. See: photorefractive keratectomy, keratophakia, lamellar keratoplasty, thermokeratoplasty, keratomileusis, radial keratotomy. Synonym: keratorefractive surgery. (05 Mar 2000) |
| keyhole surgery | <procedure> A type of operation performed using a flexible endoscope via a small incision in the skin which allows the instrument to be passed into a cavity. There are now reservations by some experts regarding the use of this procedure in the cancer surgery. (16 Dec 1997) |
| featural surgery | Rarely used term for plastic surgery of the face, for correction or improvement of appearance. (05 Mar 2000) |
| filtering surgery | A surgical procedure used in treatment of glaucoma in which an opening is created through which aqueous fluid may pass from the anterior chamber into a sac created beneath the conjunctiva, thus lowering the pressure within the eye. (hoffman, pocket glossary of ophthalmologic terminology, 1989) (12 Dec 1998) |