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Glite Dictionary
pharyngoplasty

pharyngoplasty

9.9
A surgery that repairs the throat to help swallowing or speech
  • noun
  • /fəˈrɪŋɡəˌplæsti/
  • Specialized
: faringoplastia
  • The surgeon performed a pharyngoplasty to repair the patient's damaged throat after an accident.
  • sphincter pharyngoplasty

Examples

  • The pharyngeal flap, sphincter pharyngoplasty, and palatal lengthening procedures, including double-opposing Z-plasty, have all been used successfully in isolation and in combination.

    Academic text (2015)

  • Revision procedures included posterior pharyngeal flap (PPF) and sphincter pharyngoplasty (SPP).

    Academic text (2015)

  • Their findings suggest that gap sizes > 7 mm with coexisting poor LWM (defined as < 3 on a 1 to 5 scale) require both double-opposing Z-plasty and sphincter pharyngoplasty for surgical success.

    Academic text (2015)

  • After several tests, the doctors decided that a pharyngoplasty was the best option to treat her swallowing difficulties.

  • His recovery was successful following the pharyngoplasty, allowing him to breathe and speak more comfortably.

Synonyms

palatopharyngoplasty
vspharyngoplasty
  • Specialized
9.9

Surgery that removes extra tissue from the roof of the mouth and throat to open the airway and reduce snoring

is a reconstructive operation focusing on repair rather than removing tissue
uvulopalatopharyngoplasty
vspharyngoplasty
  • Specialized
9.9

A surgery to remove or change throat tissue to help breathing during sleep

is reconstructive and focuses on rebuilding the pharynx rather than tissue removal

Surface Forms

pharyngoplasty singular
pharyngoplasties plural

Morphology

pharyngoplasty = pharynx (semi-transparent) = pharyngo + plasty

The meaning is fairly clear from 'pharynx' plus the medical suffix '-plasty', but the specialized combining form makes it less accessible to general learners.

Etymology

Pharyngoplasty comes from two parts from Greek: pharyng- meaning 'throat' and -plasty meaning 'to shape' or 'repair'. It shares the same root as plastic ('made or shaped'), so pharyngoplasty means 'shaping or repairing the throat', which is why it refers to throat surgery.