dilation and curettage
1
7.6
- noun
- /daɪˈleɪʃən ənd kjuˈrɛtɑːʒ/
- Specialized
:
dilatación y curetaje
- Some of these methods (such as dilation and curettage or D&C) have other purposes, such as removing potentially infectious material from the uterus following a delivery or a miscarriage.
Examples
-
A dilation and curettage may be necessary to stop excessive bleeding after childbirth.
-
A mother may choose to undergo a dilation and curettage (D&C) or vacuum.
Blog text (10) -
She had experienced two episodes of spontaneous abortion, one four years earlier and the other the previous year; retained products had been removed by vacuum aspiration and dilation and curettage.
Academic text (2006) -
The doctor performed a dilation and curettage to remove retained tissue after the miscarriage.
-
After experiencing complications, she was advised to undergo a dilation and curettage to ensure her health was not at risk.
Synonyms
1
8.0
A surgery that opens the cervix and removes tissue from the womb
1
9.9
An operation that removes tissue or growths from the womb by scraping with a small tool
A medical operation that removes tissue from inside the body by scraping with a small tool
A surgical way to remove a baby and placenta from the uterus by suction through the cervix during early pregnancy
How Invasive
- Specialized
25
7.0
- Specialized
1
7.6
- Specialized
9
4.9
- US
49
3.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines 'dilation' (widening) and 'curettage' (surgical scraping), so its meaning — a procedure involving widening an opening (the cervix) and scraping tissue — is directly derivable from the constituents. This compositional medical label is also mirrored in many other languages, so a B1 learner who knows the component words would grasp the basic procedure even if they lack clinical detail.
Etymology
Dilation and curettage comes from two parts: dilation, meaning 'to widen', and curettage, named for a small scoop used to 'scrape' the womb lining. So the phrase paints the picture of a doctor opening the cervix and scraping the uterine lining, which is exactly what the surgical procedure does.