🔪 Medical Terminology Lesson

-itis, -ectomy, -ostomy, -plasty, -scopy — surgical suffixes

While prefixes tell you severity or direction, these five suffixes tell you what is being DONE to a body part — inflammation, removal, a new opening, repair, or examination.

-itis

Inflam.

-ectomy

Remove

-ostomy

Opening

-plasty

Repair

-scopy

Look

📖 Full Breakdown

The five suffixes that describe what is happening to (or being done to) an organ

These appear constantly in surgical and pathology terminology — pairing them with the organ root words gives you thousands of terms for free.

-itis

Inflammation

Appendicitis = inflamed appendix. Arthritis = inflamed joint. Colitis = inflamed colon. Meningitis = inflamed meninges.

-ectomy

Surgical removal

Appendectomy = removal of the appendix. Tonsillectomy = removal of the tonsils. Mastectomy = removal of breast tissue.

-ostomy

Creating a surgical opening

Colostomy = surgically created opening from the colon to the body surface. Tracheostomy = surgical opening into the trachea.

-plasty

Surgical repair or reconstruction

Rhinoplasty = reconstruction of the nose. Arthroplasty = joint reconstruction (e.g., knee replacement). Angioplasty = repair of a blood vessel.

-scopy

Visual examination (usually with a scope)

Colonoscopy = visual exam of the colon. Laparoscopy = visual exam of the abdominal cavity. Arthroscopy = visual exam of a joint.

🩺 Clinical / Exam Application

A discharge summary lists: "S/P appendectomy for acute appendicitis, confirmed via prior laparoscopy." A student who knows -ectomy (removal), -itis (inflammation), and -scopy (visual exam) can translate this instantly: the patient had their appendix removed because it was inflamed, and this was confirmed beforehand using a scope inserted into the abdomen. No memorization of the whole phrase required — just the three suffixes.

⚠️ Exam Alert

-ostomy and -otomy are frequently confused on exams even though they are NOT covered by the same suffix here — -ostomy creates a permanent or semi-permanent opening, while a simple -otomy (not covered above) is just a surgical cut/incision without creating a lasting opening. Watch for this distinction if it appears on your exam.

🚧 Common Trap

Don't confuse -ectomy (removal) with -ostomy (creating an opening) just because both involve surgery. A colectomy removes part of the colon; a colostomy creates an opening from the colon to the abdominal surface — a patient could have either, both, or neither.

✅ Quick Check

A term you haven't seen before: "gastrostomy." Using only the suffix -ostomy and the root gastr/o (stomach) from your Root Words lesson, what would this term mean?

📝 Exam Prep

Common Exam Questions

❓ What is the difference between -ectomy and -ostomy?

✅ -ectomy means surgical removal (e.g., appendectomy = removing the appendix). -ostomy means creating a surgical opening (e.g., colostomy = creating an opening from the colon to the body surface). A patient can have one, both, or neither depending on the procedure.

❓ What does the suffix -scopy indicate, and give an example?

✅ -scopy means visual examination, typically using a scope. Colonoscopy is a visual examination of the colon using a colonoscope.