Female reproductive medical and surgical procedures

Question 1

Obstetric procedure in which a nonabsorbable suture is used for holding the cervix closed to prevent spontaneous abortion in a woman who has an incompetent cervix

Answer 1

cerclage

Question 2

Surgical procedure that widens the cervical canal of the uterus (dilation) so that the endometrium of the uterus can be scraped (curettage) to stop prolonged or heavy uterine bleeding, diagnose uterine abnormalities, and obtain tissue for microscopic examination

Answer 2

dilation and curettage (D&C)

Question 3

Surgical removal of the uterus, a fallopian tube, and an ovary

Answer 3

hysterosalpingo-oophorectomy

hyster/o: uterus (womb)
salping/o: tube (usually fallopian or eustachian [auditory] tube)
oophor: ovary
-ectomy: excision

Question 4

Excision of a small primary breast tumor (“lump”) and some of the normal tissue that surrounds it

Answer 4

lumpectomy

Question 5

Complete or partial excision of one or both breasts, most commonly performed to remove a malignant tumor

Answer 5

mastectomy

mast: breast
-ectomy: excision, removal

Question 6

Mastectomy that involves excision of an entire breast, including lymph nodes in the underarm (axillary dissection)

Answer 6

modified radical

Question 7

Mastectomy that involves excision of an entire breast, all underarm lymph nodes, and chest wall muscles under the breast

Answer 7

radical

Question 8

Mastectomy that involves excision of an entire breast, nipple, areola, and the involved overlying skin; also called simple mastectomy

Answer 8

total

Question 9

Reconstruction of a breast that has been removed because of cancer or other disease; commonly possible immediately after mastectomy, so the patient awakens from anesthesia with a breast mound already in place

Answer 9

reconstructive breast surgery

Question 10

Common breast reconstruction technique in which a balloon expander is inserted beneath the skin and chest muscle, saline solution is gradually injected to increase size, and the expander is replaced with a more permanent implant

Answer 10

tissue (skin) expansion

Question 11

Surgical creation of a skin flap (using skin and fat from the lower half of the abdomen), which is passed under the skin to the breast area, shaped into a natural-looking breast, and sutured into place

Answer 11

transverse rectus abdominis muscle (TRAM) flap

Question 12

Sterilization procedure that involves blocking both fallopian tubes by cutting or burning them and tying them off

Answer 12

tubal ligation