Definition

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

Example

After the diagnosis, the doctor recommended a nephrectomy to treat the kidney disease.

Conversation

Did you hear about Mark's surgery last week?

Yeah, he had to undergo a nephrectomy to remove his kidney.

That sounds serious! I hope he's recovering well.

He is, thankfully. The doctors said it went smoothly.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Nephrectomy → It is formed from "nephros" (meaning kidney) and "-ectomy" (meaning surgical removal). The word describes the surgical removal of a kidney.

Memory Tip

Think of 'nephros' which refers to the kidney, and '-ectomy' which means to cut out. This helps you remember that nephrectomy is the procedure to remove a kidney.

Visually Confused Words