Procedure and Surgery Terms

Removal of the large salivary gland in front of the ear, an operation planned around the facial nerve threaded through it.

Surgery to remove part of the bladder (the organ that holds urine).

Surgery to remove the uterus, but not the cervix.

An operation to remove part of the larynx (voice box).

The removal of cancer as well as some of the breast tissue around the tumor and the lining over the chest muscles below the tumor.

Kidney tissue does not grow back, and keeping more of it lowers the chance of kidney trouble years after the cancer is gone.

Surgery to remove part of one ovary or part of both ovaries.

Surgery to remove most, but not all, of the vulva (the external female genital organs, including the clitoris, vaginal lips, and the opening to the vagina).

Surgery to remove an affected area of the vulva (the external female genital organs, including the clitoris, vaginal lips, and the opening to the vagina) along with a small amount of surrounding…

Surgery to remove lymph nodes in the pelvis for examination under a microscope to see if they contain cancer.

A penectomy is a surgical procedure removing part or all of the penis, most often performed to treat penile cancer.

An injection of ethanol (alcohol) through the skin directly into a tumor to kill cancer cells.

A procedure to x-ray the hepatic and common bile ducts.

Surgery to remove the prostate through an incision made between the scrotum and the anus.

A single word covering the whole surgical episode, from the decision to operate through to recovery at home.

A method of delivering fluids and drugs directly into the abdominal cavity through a thin tube.

A procedure in which blood is collected, part of the blood such as platelets or white blood cells is taken out, and the rest of the blood is returned to the donor.

Routine enough to be invisible, yet most laboratory results and every unit of donated blood begin with this one procedure.

Only the white cell layer is treated, and the cells sent back work by retraining the immune system rather than by being destroyed.

Grafts and flaps are the trade's basic tools, moving living tissue from a place where it can be spared.