Definition

A surgical procedure that involves making an incision in the chest wall to access the organs inside the thoracic cavity.

Example

The doctor performed a thoracotomy to treat the patient's lung condition.

Conversation

Did you hear about the thoracotomy that our neighbor had?

Yeah, I heard it was a pretty serious surgery.

I wonder how long it takes to recover from a thoracotomy.

I think it can take a few weeks, but it depends on the person.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Thoracotomy → It is formed from "thorax" (from Greek "thorax", meaning chest) and "-tomy" (from Greek "tomia", meaning to cut). The word refers to the surgical procedure of cutting into the chest.

Memory Tip

Think of 'thorax' as the chest area and '-tomy' as the act of cutting — a thoracotomy is a cut made in the chest.

Visually Confused Words