Surgical terms

dermatoplasty (DER-ma-tō-plas-tē)

surgical repair of the skin

rhytidectomy (rit-i-DEK-to-mē)

excision of wrinkles (also called facelift)

cauterization (kaw-tur-ī-ZĀ-shun)

destruction of tissue with a hot or cold instrument, electric current, or caustic substance (also called cautery)

cryosurgery (krī-ō-SER-jer-ē)

destruction of tissue by using extreme cold, often by using liquid nitrogen

debridement (da-BRĒD-ment)

removal of contaminated or dead tissue and foreign matter from an open wound

dermabrasion (derm-a-BRĀ-zhun)

procedure to remove skin scars with abrasive material, such as sandpaper

excision (ek-SIZH-en)

removal by cutting

incision (in-SIZH-en)

surgical cut or wound produced by a sharp instrument

incision and drainage (I&D) (in-SIZH-en) and (DRĀ-nij)

surgical cut made to allow the free flow or withdrawal of fluids from a lesion, wound, or cavity

laser surgery (LĀ-zer) (SER-jer-ē)

procedure using an instrument that emits a high-powered beam of light used to cut, burn, vaporize, or destroy tissue

Mohs surgery (mōz) (SER-jer-ē)

technique of microscopically controlled serial excisions of a skin cancer

skin graft (skin) (graft)

skin transplanted to replace a lost portion of the body skin surface; it may be a full-thickness or split-thickness graft.

suturing (SOO-cher-ing)

to stitch edges of a wound surgically