Definition

A medical procedure that blocks blood vessels to stop bleeding or to treat certain conditions by introducing a material that causes obstruction.

Example

The doctor recommended embolization to treat the patient's vascular condition.

Conversation

I heard you had a procedure recently; was it successful?

Yes, they performed an embolization, and it went really well.

That sounds promising! What does an embolization actually involve?

It's a minimally invasive way to block blood vessels, so recovery is faster.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Embolization is formed from "embolus" (from Greek "embolos", meaning a wedge or plug) and "-ization" (a suffix used to form nouns indicating a process). The term refers to the process of obstructing a blood vessel with a wedge or plug, typically in a medical context.

Memory Tip

Think of a 'wedge' or 'plug' ('embolus') that is used to block something, and the '-ization' indicates the process of doing that. This helps you remember that embolization is the process of blocking a blood vessel.

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