thoracoplasty
1
9.9
- noun
- /θɔːrəˈkɒpləsti/
- Archaic
- After discussing the risks and benefits, she decided to undergo thoracoplasty to alleviate her severe lung condition.
Examples
-
Reben states her reluctance to consent to thoracoplasty, an operation in which six to eight ribs on one side of the body are removed in a series of successive surgeries to force a diseased lung to collapse completely.
Academic text (2014) -
The doctor explained that thoracoplasty involves removing parts of the ribs to help manage advanced lung disease effectively.
-
However, thoracoplasty can significantly increase the recovery time.
Academic text (2002) -
Smith was eventually transferred from her small private cure cottage to the Trudeau Sanatorium, where she underwent thoracoplasty six years into her convalescence, narrowly surviving the procedure.
Academic text (2014) -
Descriptions of pneumothorax, phrenic nerve compression, and thoracoplasty were retrieved on July 30, 2013, from Historic Saranac Lake (Wiki) http: **29;8929;TOOLONG # 10.
Academic text (2014) -
Due to her ongoing respiratory issues, the surgeon recommended thoracoplasty as a potential solution to collapse the affected lung.
How Invasive
- Archaic
1
9.9
- Specialized
13
9.9
- Specialized
2
9.9
- Specialized
- Specialized
1
9.9
- Specialized
2
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
thoracoplasty = thoraco + plasty
Although it is built from the classical combining form thoraco- and the suffix -plasty, the specialized medical meaning is not recoverable for an average B1 learner.
Etymology
Thoracoplasty comes from the Greek parts thorax ('chest') and -plasty ('to shape' or 'repair'), the same -plasty you see in rhinoplasty. So it means a surgery that 'shapes' the chest, which is why it refers to removing or reshaping ribs to collapse part of a lung.