Definition

The medical process of removing dead or damaged tissue from a wound to help it heal properly.

Example

The doctor performed debridement to clean the wound and promote healing.

Conversation

I heard you had a wound that needed debridement yesterday.

Yeah, it was pretty painful, but necessary to heal.

I can't believe they had to do that, what exactly does it involve?

Basically, they just remove all the dead tissue to help it recover better.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Debridement is formed from "de-" (meaning away from) and "brider" (from Old French *brider*, meaning to remove or to strip). The term refers to the process of removing dead, damaged, or infected tissue from a wound to promote healing.

Memory Tip

Think of 'removing' ('de-') something 'away' ('brider') to help a wound heal — that's what debridement means.

Visually Confused Words