Tag: Surgical opening

Approximately 100,000 ostomy surgeries are performed annually in the United States, yet many patients and caregivers are unfamiliar with the precise medical language. A key question that often arises is, what is the term for surgical opening, and what do the various related terms actually signify?

In medical terminology, the suffix "-stomy" is derived from the Greek word *stoma*, meaning 'mouth' or 'opening.' This term is central to understanding many surgical procedures and tells us that a new, artificial opening has been created within the body.