thoracostomy
2
9.9
- noun
- /θɔːrəˈkɒstəmi/
- Specialized
- thoracostomy tray
Examples
-
Three thoracostomy tubes were placed, along with two Blake drains to allow for irrigation.
Academic text (2004) -
The surgeon explained that a thoracostomy would be necessary to drain the fluid from the patient's chest.
-
After the trauma, the doctors performed a thoracostomy to relieve the pressure in his thoracic cavity.
-
The emergency team quickly decided to perform a thoracostomy to access the patient's collapsed lung.
How Invasive
- Archaic
1
9.9
- Specialized
13
9.9
- Specialized
2
9.9
- Specialized
- Specialized
2
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
thoracostomy = thorac + ostomy
This is a technical medical term built from classical combining forms, so an average B1 learner would not be able to infer the meaning from the parts alone.
Etymology
The word thoracostomy comes from the Greek parts thorax meaning 'chest' and -stomy meaning 'an opening', as in the surgery word colostomy. So, a thoracostomy is making an opening in the chest to let air or fluid out.