-ectomy means surgical removal, -otomy (-tomy) means cutting into something, and -ostomy (-stomy) means surgically creating an opening. Take the stomach: a gastrectomy removes all or part of it, a gastrotomy is an incision into it that is closed again, and a gastrostomy is an opening from the stomach through the abdominal wall, usually for a feeding tube.
This guide compares the three suffixes, explains -tomy vs -otomy and tracheotomy vs tracheostomy, and lists the other surgical suffixes you will meet in class and in clinical notes, with a 10-question quiz at the end.
In this guide:
- -ectomy vs -otomy vs -ostomy at a glance
- -otomy or -tomy? Ostomy or stoma?
- Tracheotomy vs tracheostomy
- Partial, total and radical
- When -stomy joins two organs: anastomosis
- Surgical suffixes list
- Look-alikes: -rrhaphy, -rrhexis, -rrhage, -rrhea
- Quiz with answers
- Frequently asked questions
-ectomy vs -otomy vs -ostomy at a Glance
| Suffix | Meaning | What it leaves behind | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ectomy | Surgical removal (excision) | The organ, or part of it, is gone | Appendectomy: removal of the appendix |
| -tomy (-otomy) | Cutting into, incision | An incision, usually closed again at the end of the operation | Laparotomy: surgery that opens the abdomen |
| -stomy (-ostomy) | Surgically creating an opening | A new opening (stoma) to the outside of the body, or a new connection between two organs | Colostomy: the colon brought out through an opening in the abdominal wall |
One Organ, Three Operations
The stomach (gastr/o) and the colon (col/o) take all three suffixes, so they show the difference clearly:
| Term | Word parts | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Gastrectomy | gastr + -ectomy | Removal of part of the stomach (partial gastrectomy) or all of it (total gastrectomy) |
| Gastrotomy | gastr/o + -tomy | An incision into the stomach, for example to remove a swallowed object that cannot be retrieved with an endoscope; the stomach is then closed |
| Gastrostomy | gastr/o + -stomy | An opening from the stomach through the abdominal wall where a feeding tube is placed, often endoscopically (a PEG, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) |
| Colectomy | col + -ectomy | Removal of all or part of the colon |
| Colotomy | col/o + -tomy | An incision into the colon, for example to explore it, take a biopsy or remove a foreign body |
| Colostomy | col/o + -stomy | Part of the colon brought out through an opening (stoma) in the abdominal wall, so stool leaves the body there; it may be temporary or permanent |
A Memory Trick From the Greek
- -ectomy comes from Greek ek (out) plus a word for cutting: literally "cutting out."
- -tomy comes from Greek tomē, "a cutting." The same root is in anatomy, which originally meant dissection, literally "cutting up."
- -stomy comes from Greek stoma, "mouth": it gives an organ a new mouth.
Put together: -ectomy takes it out, -tomy cuts in, -stomy makes a mouth.
-otomy or -tomy? Ostomy or Stoma?
-otomy and -tomy are the same suffix, and so are -ostomy and -stomy. The extra o is usually the combining vowel of the root. Because -tomy and -stomy start with a consonant, the vowel stays: gastr/o + -tomy = gastrotomy, col/o + -stomy = colostomy. Because -ectomy starts with a vowel, the o drops: gastr + -ectomy = gastrectomy, not "gastroectomy." Some references, including the MedlinePlus list of word parts, show both spellings. For the full rule, see our guide to medical prefixes and suffixes.
Ostomy is also a word on its own. MedlinePlus describes an ostomy as surgery to create an opening (stoma) from an area inside the body to the outside. The main types are a colostomy, an ileostomy (from the ileum, the last part of the small intestine) and a urostomy (which diverts urine). The stoma is the opening itself, the visible part on the abdomen. People often use the two words interchangeably, but strictly the stoma is part of the ostomy.
Tracheotomy vs Tracheostomy
Strictly speaking, a tracheotomy is the incision into the trachea (windpipe), and a tracheostomy is the opening that connects the trachea to the outside through the front of the neck, usually with a tube placed in it to help with breathing and clearing secretions. Because the incision usually ends in a stoma, clinicians and many references use the two words interchangeably. On a terminology exam, use the strict meanings: -tomy is the cut, -stomy is the opening.
On the -ectomy side, removing a segment of the trachea, for example a narrowed section, is usually called a tracheal resection rather than a "tracheectomy": the surgeon removes the segment and sews the two ends together.
Meanings can drift: phlebotomy literally means "cutting into a vein," but today it means drawing blood from a vein with a needle, for lab tests or blood donation, or to remove blood as a treatment (therapeutic phlebotomy).
Partial, Total and Radical: Words Added to -ectomy
An -ectomy term says what is removed; qualifiers say how much:
- Partial: only part of the organ is removed. A partial nephrectomy removes only the part of a kidney that contains the tumor or other disease and leaves the rest of the kidney in place. Subtotal usually means most, but not all, of the organ.
- Total: the whole organ is removed, as in total gastrectomy or total thyroidectomy.
- Radical: the organ plus surrounding tissue, often with nearby lymph nodes. A radical nephrectomy removes the whole kidney together with the fatty tissue around it and some nearby lymph nodes; the adrenal gland on top of the kidney is sometimes removed as well.
- Hemi- (half): a right or left hemicolectomy removes one side of the colon.
- Bilateral: both organs of a pair, as in bilateral oophorectomy (removal of both ovaries).
When -stomy Joins Two Organs: Anastomosis
When -stomy follows two roots, it usually names a surgical connection between the two structures, not an opening onto the skin:
- Gastrojejunostomy (gastr/o + jejun/o + -stomy): a connection between the stomach and the jejunum, the middle part of the small intestine, so food bypasses the duodenum. It is used, for example, when the stomach outlet is blocked, and a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass includes one.
- Choledochojejunostomy: the common bile duct joined to the jejunum.
The general name for this kind of connection is an anastomosis: a connection between two structures, usually tubular ones such as blood vessels or loops of intestine (MedlinePlus). After a colectomy, for example, the surgeon often joins the two remaining ends of bowel with an anastomosis; when that is not possible or not safe, the bowel may be brought out as a colostomy instead. The word shares the stoma root, and in anatomy it also describes natural connections between blood vessels.
Surgical Suffixes List: Meanings and Examples
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ectomy | Surgical removal | Appendectomy; partial or total thyroidectomy |
| -tomy | Cutting into, incision; also cutting through a structure | Craniotomy: surgically opening the skull to reach the brain. Osteotomy: cutting a bone to reshape or realign it |
| -stomy | Surgically creating an opening | Ileostomy: part of the ileum brought out through an opening (stoma) in the abdominal wall |
| -plasty | Surgical repair or reconstruction | Rhinoplasty: reshaping the nose. Angioplasty: opening a narrowed or blocked blood vessel |
| -pexy | Surgical fixation | Orchiopexy: bringing an undescended testicle down into the scrotum and stitching it in place |
| -rrhaphy | Suturing, repair with sutures | Herniorrhaphy: repairing a hernia by suturing the tissues (a repair with mesh is often called a hernioplasty) |
| -desis | Surgical fusion, binding | Arthrodesis: fusing the bones of a joint |
| -centesis | Surgical puncture to remove fluid | Thoracentesis: removing fluid from the space between the lungs and the chest wall. Amniocentesis: removing a sample of amniotic fluid |
| -scopy | Visual examination with an instrument | Colonoscopy; laparoscopy (looking inside the abdomen with a camera through small incisions) |
| -scope | Instrument for viewing | Endoscope; laparoscope |
| -lysis | Breakdown or destruction (hemolysis); in surgery, freeing or separating | Adhesiolysis: cutting or separating adhesions, bands of scar tissue that bind tissues together |
| -tripsy | Crushing | Lithotripsy: breaking up stones, for example kidney stones with shock waves |
One Root, Many Procedures: Arthr/o (Joint)
- Arthrotomy: an incision into a joint.
- Arthroscopy: looking inside a joint with an arthroscope; it is also used to operate.
- Arthrocentesis: puncturing a joint with a needle to remove fluid.
- Arthroplasty: surgical reconstruction or replacement of a joint; a total knee arthroplasty is a total knee replacement.
- Arthrodesis: fusing a joint so it no longer moves.
Look-Alikes: -rrhaphy vs -rrhexis vs -rrhage vs -rrhea
These four endings look alike, but only one is a procedure:
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -rrhaphy | Suturing (a procedure) | Herniorrhaphy: repair of a hernia with sutures |
| -rrhexis | Rupture | Amniorrhexis: rupture of the amniotic membranes ("water breaking") |
| -rrhage, -rrhagia | Bursting forth, excessive bleeding | Hemorrhage: heavy bleeding. Menorrhagia: heavy menstrual bleeding (clinicians today usually just say "heavy menstrual bleeding") |
| -rrhea | Flow, discharge | Rhinorrhea: a runny nose. Diarrhea: frequent loose, watery stools |
To keep -rrhaphy straight, link it to the anatomical raphe, a seam-like line of tissue: both come from the Greek for sewing. -rrhexis comes from the Greek rhēxis, "a breaking": think of a wall or membrane breaking open.
Quiz: 10 Questions on Surgical Suffixes
1. Which suffix means surgical removal?
a) -tomy
b) -stomy
c) -ectomy
d) -pexy
2. A surgeon makes an incision into the stomach to remove a swallowed object, then closes the stomach. What is this procedure called?
a) gastrectomy
b) gastrotomy
c) gastrostomy
d) gastroscopy
3. Which term names a surgically created opening from the colon through the abdominal wall?
a) colectomy
b) colotomy
c) colostomy
d) colonoscopy
4. Which suffix means surgical fixation?
a) -pexy
b) -plasty
c) -centesis
d) -tripsy
5. What does arthrodesis mean?
a) inflammation of a joint
b) surgical fusion of a joint
c) an incision into a joint
d) pain in a joint
6. Which suffix means surgical puncture to remove fluid?
a) -centesis
b) -scopy
c) -lysis
d) -rrhaphy
7. Which suffix means rupture?
a) -rrhaphy
b) -rrhexis
c) -rrhea
d) -rrhage
8. What is a gastrojejunostomy?
a) removal of the stomach and jejunum
b) an incision into the jejunum
c) a surgical connection between the stomach and the jejunum
d) inflammation of the stomach and jejunum
9. Lith/o means stone. Which term means breaking up a stone?
a) lithiasis
b) lithotomy
c) lithotripsy
d) nephrolithiasis
10. Using the strict meanings, which statement is correct?
a) A tracheotomy is the incision; a tracheostomy is the opening it creates.
b) A tracheotomy is removal of the trachea.
c) A tracheostomy is an examination of the trachea with a scope.
d) A tracheostomy is inflammation of the trachea.
Answers
- c) -ectomy, as in appendectomy. -tomy is an incision, -stomy is an opening and -pexy is fixation.
- b) gastrotomy (gastr/o + -tomy). Gastrectomy is removal, gastrostomy an opening for a feeding tube and gastroscopy a look inside with a scope.
- c) colostomy (col/o + -stomy). A colectomy removes all or part of the colon, a colotomy is an incision into it and a colonoscopy examines it.
- a) -pexy, as in orchiopexy. -plasty is repair, -centesis puncture to remove fluid and -tripsy crushing.
- b) surgical fusion of a joint. The others are arthritis, arthrotomy and arthralgia.
- a) -centesis, as in thoracentesis and amniocentesis.
- b) -rrhexis. -rrhaphy is suturing, -rrhea is flow or discharge and -rrhage is excessive bleeding.
- c) a surgical connection between the stomach and the jejunum. When -stomy follows two roots, it usually names a connection (anastomosis) between them.
- c) lithotripsy (-tripsy = crushing). Lithiasis is the presence of stones, lithotomy is an incision to remove a stone and nephrolithiasis means kidney stones.
- a) Strictly, -tomy is the incision and -stomy is the opening, although in everyday clinical use the two words are often used interchangeably.
Ready for more? Try our free 50-question medical terminology quiz with answers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between -ectomy, -otomy and -ostomy?
-ectomy means surgical removal (gastrectomy), -otomy means cutting into (gastrotomy) and -ostomy means creating an opening (gastrostomy). An incision is usually closed again, while the opening made by an -ostomy is left open, temporarily or permanently.
Is -otomy the same as -tomy?
Yes. The suffix is -tomy; the o in front is usually the combining vowel of the root, as in col/o + -tomy = colotomy. The same is true of -ostomy and -stomy.
What is the difference between a stoma and an ostomy?
An ostomy is surgery that creates an opening from inside the body to the outside, such as a colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy. The stoma is the opening itself, the part you can see on the abdomen.
Is a tracheotomy the same as a tracheostomy?
Strictly, no: a tracheotomy is the incision into the trachea, and a tracheostomy is the opening that results, usually holding a breathing tube. In everyday clinical use, though, the two words are often used interchangeably.
What are the most common surgical suffixes?
The ones students meet most often are -ectomy (removal), -tomy (incision), -stomy (opening), -plasty (repair), -pexy (fixation), -rrhaphy (suturing), -desis (fusion), -centesis (puncture to remove fluid), -scopy (visual examination) and -tripsy (crushing).
What does anastomosis mean?
An anastomosis is a connection between two structures, usually tubular ones such as blood vessels or loops of intestine. Surgeons create one, for example, when they join two ends of bowel after removing a section.
Keep Going
Surgical suffixes are easier once you know the roots they attach to. To learn word parts step by step, see our Medical Terminology textbook, written by doctors, and the companion Medical Terminology Workbook, with fill-in-the-blank, multiple-choice and picture-labeling exercises. If you prefer to learn online, try our online Medical Terminology Course. You can see all our books on our Textbooks page.