Definition

A medical procedure in which the gallbladder is surgically removed from the body.

Example

After experiencing severe abdominal pain, the doctor recommended a cholecystectomy to remove the gallbladder.

Conversation

I heard you had a cholecystectomy last week, how did it go?

It went well, thanks! The doctors were really nice.

That sounds good! Were you nervous about the cholecystectomy?

A little, but I felt much better once I talked to the surgeon.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Cholecystectomy → It is formed from "chole" (from Greek "chole", meaning bile) and "cystis" (from Greek "kystis", meaning bladder) and "-ectomy" (from Greek "ektome", meaning excision or removal). The word refers to the surgical removal of the gallbladder, which is the organ that stores bile.

Memory Tip

Think of 'bile' ('chole') being stored in a 'bladder' ('cystis') that is being 'removed' ('-ectomy') — that's what cholecystectomy means.

Visually Confused Words