| loop excision | A diagnostic and therapeutic gynecological surgical technique for removing dysplastic cells from the cervix. In this office procedure conducted with the aid of colposcopy, a small wire loop is used to excise visible patches of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Like cauterization, cryosurgery, and CO2 laser procedures, loop excision can be done with local anaesthetic, and is an uncomplicated, relatively inexpensive way of removing dysplastic cells; in addition, it provides material for biopsy. It is not advised for cases of severe dysplasia or carcinoma in situ, which are better addressed by cervical conization, an inpatient procedure. Synonym: loop resection. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| loop of henle | A u-shaped turn in the medullary portion of a renal tubule, with a descending limb from the proximal convoluted tubule and an ascending limb to the distal convoluted tubule. (12 Dec 1998) |
| loop of hypoglossal nerve | A loop in the cervical plexus consisting of fibres from the first three cervical nerves. Fibres from a loop between the C-1 and C-2 spinal nerves accompany the hypoglossal nerve for a short distance, leaving it as the superior root of the ansa cervicalis. Fibres from a loop between the C-2 and C-3 spinal nerves form the inferior root of the ansa cervicalis. Most commonly, the roots merge, forming the ansa cervicalis, which gives rise to branches innervating infrahyoid muscles. Synonym: cervical loop, loop of hypoglossal nerve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| loop resection | A diagnostic and therapeutic gynecological surgical technique for removing dysplastic cells from the cervix. In this office procedure conducted with the aid of colposcopy, a small wire loop is used to excise visible patches of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Like cauterization, cryosurgery, and CO2 laser procedures, loop excision can be done with local anaesthetic, and is an uncomplicated, relatively inexpensive way of removing dysplastic cells; in addition, it provides material for biopsy. It is not advised for cases of severe dysplasia or carcinoma in situ, which are better addressed by cervical conization, an inpatient procedure. Synonym: loop resection. (05 Mar 2000) |
| absorbable surgical suture | A surgical suture material prepared from a substance that can be digested by body tissues and is therefore not permanent; it is available in various diameters and tensile strengths, and can be treated to modify its resistance to absorption and be impregnated with antimicrobial agents. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Albert's suture | A modified Czerny suture, the first row of stitches passing through the entire thickness of the wall of the gut. (05 Mar 2000) |
| apposition suture | A suture of the skin only. Synonym: coaptation suture. (05 Mar 2000) |
| approximation suture | A suture that pulls together the deep tissues. (05 Mar 2000) |
| atraumatic suture | A suture swaged onto the end of an eyeless needle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| blanket suture | A continuous lock-stitch used to approximate the skin of a wound. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bridle suture | A suture passed through the superior rectus muscle to rotate the globe downward in eye surgery. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Bunnell's suture | A method of tenorrhaphy using a pull-out wire affixed to buttons. (05 Mar 2000) |
| buried suture | Any suture placed entirely below the surface of the skin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| button suture | A suture in which the threads are passed through the holes of a button and then tied; used to reduce the danger of the threads cutting through the flesh. (05 Mar 2000) |
| palatoethmoidal suture | Line of junction of the orbital process of the palatine bone and the orbital plate of the ethmoid. Synonym: sutura palatoethmoidalis. (05 Mar 2000) |