Definition

A surgical procedure that involves making an opening in the skull to access the brain or other structures inside the head.

Example

The doctor performed a craniotomy to remove the tumor from the patient's brain.

Conversation

Did you hear about the craniotomy that the doctor performed last week?

Yeah, I read about it! It sounds pretty intense.

I can't believe they actually cut into the skull during surgery.

It's amazing what they can do with modern medicine.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Craniotomy is formed from "cranium" (from Greek "kranion", meaning skull) and "-tomy" (from Greek "tomia", meaning cutting). The word refers to the surgical procedure of cutting into the skull.

Memory Tip

Think of 'cranium' as the skull and '-tomy' as cutting — a craniotomy is a procedure that involves cutting into the skull.

Visually Confused Words