septectomy

9.9

An operation to remove part of the thin wall inside the nose that divides the nostrils

noun
/sɛpˈtɛk.tə.mi/

Specialized

: septoplastia

The surgeon recommended a septectomy to correct the patient’s chronic nasal obstruction.

Examples

After undergoing a septectomy, the patient reported improved breathing and fewer sinus infections.
Complications from an incomplete septectomy may require further medical intervention.
The doctor performed a septectomy to correct the patient's breathing issues.
After the septectomy, the patient felt immediate relief.
The surgeon recommended a septectomy to correct the patient's chronic nasal obstruction.
After undergoing a septectomy, the patient reported improved breathing and fewer sinus infections.
Complications from an incomplete septectomy may require further medical intervention.

Surface Forms

septectomy singular

septectomies plural

Morphology

septectomy = septum (semi-transparent) = septum + ectomy

The word is transparently formed from 'septum' plus the medical suffix '-ectomy' meaning surgical removal, but the term is specialized rather than fully accessible to all learners.

Etymology

The word septectomy breaks into two parts: sept- meaning 'wall' or 'partition' and -ectomy meaning 'cutting out', just like in appendectomy. So a septectomy is surgery to remove a wall inside the body, for example the wall in the nose or the wall between the heart chambers, which explains why it means removing part or all of a septum.