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Showing results for craniotomy. Search instead for craniognomic.

craniotomy

American  
[kray-nee-ot-uh-mee] / ˌkreɪ niˈɒt ə mi /

noun

Surgery.
  • craniotomies
    plural
  1. the operation of opening the skull, usually for operations on the brain.


craniotomy British  
/ ˌkreɪnɪˈɒtəmɪ /

noun

  1. any surgical incision into the skull, esp to expose the brain for neurosurgery

  2. the surgical crushing of a fetal skull to extract a dead fetus

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

craniotomy Scientific  
/ krā′nē-ŏt′ə-mē /
  1. Surgical incision into the skull.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of craniotomy

First recorded in 1850–55; cranio- + -tomy


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

During a tearful interview last month, she said the craniotomy - which involved part of her skull being removed to take out the tumour - was "the hardest thing" she had been through.

From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2025

This technique requires arrays that cover relatively large areas, necessitating removal of at least an equal area of skull in a procedure known as a craniotomy.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 1, 2023

George Halvorson, the retired chief executive of Kaiser Permanente, says he recently had a surgical procedure on his skull, a craniotomy, at the renowned Mayo Clinic.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2023

But in this case, the craniotomy and resection, or tissue removal, was the best option, Grannan said.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 27, 2023

If the head sticks, caesarean section is done in favourable circumstances, and craniotomy in unfavourable circumstances.

From Essays In Pastoral Medicine by Austin ?Malley

Over the next two years, Andrew’s therapy included seven craniotomies, but by 2014 he had stabilized, Davies said, “and we kind of thought he was going to survive.”

From New York Times ● Feb. 7, 2021

Anthony Castrovince wrote that “he never truly escaped the effects of two craniotomies, chemotherapy and radiation.”

From Washington Post ● Aug. 7, 2017

As for the surgery itself, craniotomies performed in a minimally invasive way—through a tiny incision around the eyelid or eyebrow—are generally well tolerated and heal quickly.

From Time ● Jul. 17, 2017

After three craniotomies and five years of foster care, he was adopted into a strict Pentecostal family, becoming the 10th of what would eventually be 37 Sheptock children.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 13, 2010

The baby lived, but has undergone eight craniotomies.

From Time Magazine Archive

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