Ch. 3 Operative Terms

Question 0

chemical peel

Answer 0

a technique for restoring wrinkled, scarred, or blemished skin by applying an acid solution to “peel” away the top layers of the skin

Question 1

chemosurgery

Answer 1

removal of tissue after it has been destroyed by chemical means

Question 2

cryosurgery

Answer 2

destruction of tissue by freezing with application of an extremely cold chemical (e.g., liquid nitrogen)

Question 3

dermabrasion

Answer 3

surgical removal of the epidermis frozen by aerosol spray using wire brushes and emery papers to remove scars, tattoos, and/or wrinkles

Question 4

debridement

Answer 4

removal of dead tissue from a wound or burn site to promote healing and to prevent infection

Question 5

curettage

Answer 5

cleaning; scraping a wound using a spoon-like cutting instrument called a currette; used for debridement

Question 6

electrosurgical procedures

Answer 6

use of electric current to destroy tissue; the type and strength of the current and method of application vary

Question 7

electrocautery

Answer 7

use of an instrument heated by electric current (cautery) to coagulate bleeding areas by burning the tissue (e.g., to sear a blood vessel)

Question 8

electrodesiccation

Answer 8

use of high-frequency electric currents to destroy tissue by drying it; the active electrode makes direct contact with the skin lesion (desiccate = to dry up)

Question 9

fulguration

Answer 9

to lighten; use of long, high-frequency, electric sparks to destroy tissue; the active electrode does not touch the skin

Question 10

incision and drainage (I & D)

Answer 10

incision and drainage of an infected skin lesion (e.g., an abscess)

Question 11

laser

Answer 11

an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation; an instrument that concentrates high frequencies of light into a small, extremely intense beam that is precise in depth and diameter; applied to body tissues to destroy lesions or for dissection

Question 12

laser surgery

Answer 12

surgery using a laser in various dermatologic procedures to remove lesions, scars, tattoos, etc.

Question 13

Mohs surgery

Answer 13

a technique used to excise tumors of the skin by removing fresh tissue, layer by layer, until a tumor-free layer is reached

Question 14

skin grafting

Answer 14

transfer of skin from one body part to another to replace skin that has been lost through a burn or injury

Question 15

autograft

Answer 15

graft transfer to a new position in the body of the same person (auto = self)

Question 16

heterograft; xenograft

Answer 16

graft transfer between different species, such as from animal to human (hetero = different, xeno = strange)

Question 17

homograft; allograft

Answer 17

donor transfer between persons of the same species, such as human to human (homo = same)