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🩺 Cutting tissue 🔪 Cutting into pieces
morcellation

morcellation

9.9
Cutting body tissue into small pieces so doctors can remove it
  • noun
  • /mɔːrˈsɛleɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : morcelación
  • During her surgery, the doctor performed morcellation to remove the tissue safely.
  • power morcellation

Examples

  • Morcellation should be avoided because it allows tumor particles to seed the mediastinum.

    Academic text (2006)

  • The surgeon advised that morcellation would be necessary to effectively treat the patient's condition.

  • After the morcellation procedure, the doctor explained the importance of monitoring for any complications.

Antonyms

integrity
132 4.4

Being whole and not broken, for example in a building or file

consolidation
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A hard mass that forms when loose material is pressed together

How Fragmented

pulverization
  • US
7.7
morcellation
  • Specialized
9.9
excision
  • Specialized
2 7.9

Surface Forms

morcellation singular
morcellations plural

Morphology

morcellation = morcellate (opaque) = morcell + ation

Although formed from morcellate + -ation, the primary medical sense (a specific surgical procedure) is specialized and not predictable from the base by most learners.

Etymology

Morcellation comes from a French root like morsel, which means 'small piece' or 'bite'. So in surgery, morcellation is the cutting of tissue into small pieces so a surgeon can remove them through a small opening.