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thoracotomy

American  
[thawr-uh-kot-uh-mee, thohr-] / ˌθɔr əˈkɒt ə mi, ˌθoʊr- /

noun

Surgery.

plural

thoracotomies
  1. incision into the chest cavity.


thoracotomy British  
/ ˌθɔːrəˈkɒtəmɪ /

noun

  1. surgical incision into the chest wall

"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

Etymology

Origin of thoracotomy

First recorded in 1855–60; thoraco- + -tomy

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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.

A thoracotomy is not life-saving in itself and is a temporary measure in resuscitating a patient before moving on to repair an issue, Dr Farrelly added.

From BBC • Dec. 1, 2021

After the operation, he suffered from thoracotomy syndrome “where it feels like your nerves are on fire inside of you, they won’t meld together. It’s just horrible.”

From The Guardian • Oct. 3, 2019

They performed an emergency thoracotomy - an extreme procedure to open the chest as part of resuscitation.

From BBC • Nov. 23, 2016

The Children’s Hospital “babies” and the dummy simulating the thoracotomy at Mass General were created by people with an expertise in movie special effects.

From New York Times • Nov. 9, 2015

In the event of a foreign body reaching the pleura, either with or without pus, it should be removed immediately by pleuroscopy or by thoracotomy, without waiting for adhesive pleuritis.

From Bronchoscopy and Esophagoscopy A Manual of Peroral Endoscopy and Laryngeal Surgery by Jackson, Chevalier

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