hypophysectomy

1 9.9

Surgery to remove the small gland at the base of the brain that makes hormones

noun
/ˌhaɪpəˈfɪzɛkˌtomi/

Specialized

: hipofisectomía

Following his hypophysectomy, the patient required lifelong hormone replacement therapy.

Examples

The doctor recommended a hypophysectomy to treat the patient's pituitary tumor.
A hypophysectomy is sometimes performed when medications fail to control pituitary disorders.
The doctor performed a hypophysectomy to treat the tumor.
After the hypophysectomy, the patient required hormone therapy.
The doctor recommended a hypophysectomy to treat the patient's pituitary tumor.
Following his hypophysectomy, the patient required lifelong hormone replacement therapy.
A hypophysectomy is sometimes performed when medications fail to control pituitary disorders.

Surface Forms

hypophysectomy singular

hypophysectomies plural

Morphology

hypophysectomy = hypophysis (opaque) = hypophysis + ectomy

This is a specialized medical term built from 'hypophysis' and '-ectomy', but the meaning is not readily inferable for an average learner.

Etymology

Hypophysectomy breaks into hypo- 'under', hypophysis 'pituitary gland', and -ectomy 'cutting out', like in appendectomy. It means surgery to remove the pituitary, the small gland under the brain, so the word literally says 'cutting out the gland under the brain'.