Medical Terms Suffixes Flashcards

Medical Terminology Suffixes

• -rrhaphy: Refers to the process of suturing wounds or tissue. Used in procedures where tissue is stitched together.

• -rrhea: Indicates a flow or discharge, often used to describe secretions from organs, such as diarrhea or rhinorrhea (nasal discharge).

• -rrhexis: Denotes rupture, typically used in medical contexts to describe the breaking or tearing of an organ or tissue.

• -sclerosis: Signifies hardening of a structure or tissue, often associated with conditions like multiple sclerosis or arteriosclerosis.

• -scopy: Relates to examination using an instrument, such as endoscopy, which allows for visual inspection of internal organs.

• -spasm: Represents involuntary twitching or contraction of muscles, often leading to issues like muscle cramps or spasms.

• -stasis: Refers to the cessation or stopping of a process, commonly used in phrases like blood stasis, indicating halted circulation.

• -stomy: Describes the surgical creation of an opening, such as colostomy, which provides an alternative passage for bodily waste.

• -tome: Denotes a cutting instrument, typically used in surgical contexts for precise incisions or sample collection.

• -tomy: Indicates incision, often performed during surgical procedures to access internal structures.

• -tripsy: Refers to the surgical crushing of a structure, commonly associated with procedures like lithotripsy, which breaks down kidney stones.

• -trophic/-trophy: Relates to nutrition or growth, often used in contexts such as hypertrophy (increase in size) or atrophy (decrease in size).