Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
rhizotomy

rhizotomy

1 9.9
An operation that cuts nerves near the spine to reduce pain or stop strong muscle spasms
  • noun
  • /raɪˈzɒtəmi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : rizotomía
  • Have you been referred to the option of selective dorsal rhizotomy, a surgery option for relieving spasticity in the legs that enables children with this condition to walk?

Examples

  • I'm not sure if you've heard about Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR), but I had this done 9 months ago, and it changed my life forever!

    Blog text (31)

  • PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 2. Rhizotomy of the posterior root of the trigeminal nerve.

    Academic text (1996)

  • It is called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy.

    Blog text (31)

  • Rhizotomy is performed at a point 0.5 cm from the nerve's exit from the Dons (Figure 2).

    Academic text (1996)

  • This story comes to us from the United Kingdom, where that country's National Health Service (NHS) is accused of refusing to pay for Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR), which has shown benefits for children with cerebral palsy.

    Blog text (19)

  • A rhizotomy is often recommended for patients who suffer from severe muscle spasms.

  • The doctor explained that a rhizotomy could help relieve the pain caused by nerve damage.

  • After undergoing a rhizotomy, many patients report a significant decrease in pain symptoms.

Synonyms

neurectomy
vsrhizotomy
  • Specialized
9.9

A surgery that removes all or part of a nerve

targets spinal nerve roots by severing them to relieve pain or stop spasms
neurolysis
vsrhizotomy
  • Specialized
8.1

A medical procedure that destroys or removes nerve tissue to reduce pain

focuses on cutting specific spinal roots rather than destroying tissue broadly

How Invasive

rhizotomy
  • Specialized
1 9.9
spinal anesthesia
  • Specialized
1 5.5
nerve block anesthesia
  • Specialized
4.3

Surface Forms

rhizotomy singular
rhizotomies plural

Morphology

rhizotomy = rhiz + otomy

The term is built from medical combining forms ('rhiz-' + '-otomy') that are not productive standalone English words and are unlikely to be understood by an average B1 learner from common vocabulary.

Etymology

Rhizotomy comes from Greek rhiza meaning 'root' and -tomy meaning 'cutting'. So a rhizotomy is literally 'cutting the roots', which fits the operation where doctors cut the nerve roots in the spine to reduce pain or stop severe muscle spasms.