From Textbook (Treatment Vocabulary) - Unit 9: The Digestive System

insertion of nasogastric (NG) tube

Procedure to insert a long, flexible nasogastric tube through the nose into the stomach. It is used to drain secretions from the stomach, take a sample of gastric acid, or give feedings or drugs to the patient on a temporary basis (see Figure 3-26).

abdominocentesis

Procedure to remove fluid from the abdomen using a needle and a vacuum container. It is done to relieve abdominal pressure from fluid produced by ascites. It is also done to see if there are cancer cells in the peritoneal fluid or to see if there is blood in the peritoneal fluid after abdominal trauma.

appendectomy

Procedure to remove the appendix because of appendicitis

biopsy

Procedure to remove a small piece of tissue from an ulcer, polyp, mass, or tumor. It is examined under a microscope to look for abnormal or cancerous cells.

bowel resection and anastomosis

Procedure to remove a section of diseased intestine and rejoin the intestine. An end-to-end anastomosis joins the two cut ends of the intestine together. An end-to-side anastomosis joins one end to the side of another part of the intestine.

cholecystectomy

Procedure to remove the gallbladder. This is done as a minimally invasive laparoscopic cholecystectomy that uses a laparoscope (see Figure 3-27).

choledocholithotomy

Procedure to make an incision in the common bile duct to remove a gallstone

colostomy

Procedure to remove the diseased part of the colon and create a new opening in the abdominal wall where feces can leave the body (see Figure 3-28). The colon is brought out through the abdominal wall. The edges of the colon are rolled to make a mouth-like opening (stoma) and sutured to the abdominal wall. The patient wears a plastic disposable pouch that adheres to the abdominal wall to collect feces. If part of the ileum and colon are removed and a stoma created, the procedure is known as an ileostomy.

endoscopy

Procedure that uses an endoscope (a flexible, fiberoptic scope with a magnifying lens and a light source) to internally examine the gastrointestinal tract. An endoscopic procedure can be coupled with another procedure such as a biopsy or removal of a polyp.

esophagoscopy

visualization and examination of the esophagus

gastroscopy

visualization and examination of the stomach (after the endoscope first passes through the esophagus)

esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)

visualization and examination of the esophagus first, followed by the stomach, and then the duodenum

sigmoidoscopy

visualization and examination of the rectum and sigmoid colon using a sigmoidoscope

colonoscopy

visualization and examination of the entire colon after the colonoscope is passed through the rectum (see Figure 3-29)

exploratory laparotomy

Procedure that uses a long abdominal incision to open the abdominopelvic cavity widely so that it can be explored

gastrectomy

Procedure to remove all or part of the stomach because of a cancerous or benign tumor

gastroplasty

Procedure to treat severe obesity. Staples are used to make a small stomach pouch. A gastroplasty can be combined with a gastric bypass in which the stapled stomach pouch is anastomosed (connected) to the cut end of the jejunum. This bypasses the duodenum, where most fats are absorbed. It is also known as gastric stapling or gastric bypass.

gastrostomy

Procedure to create a temporary or permanent opening from the abdominal wall into the stomach to insert a gastrostomy feeding tube. This is done for patients who have had an NG tube for some time but still cannot eat on their own. For a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), a permanent PEG feeding tube is inserted through the abdominal wall. Then, under visual guidance from an endoscope that was previously passed through the mouth, the PEG tube is positioned in the stomach (see Figure 3-30).

hemorrhoidectomy

Procedure to remove hemorrhoids from the rectum or around the anus

herniorrhaphy

Procedure that uses sutures to close a defect in the muscle wall where there is a hernia

jejunostomy

Procedure to create a temporary or permanent opening from the abdominal wall into the jejunum to insert a jejunostomy feeding tube. For a percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (PEJ), a PEJ tube is inserted through the abdominal wall. Then, under visual guidance from an endoscope that was previously passed through the mouth, the PEJ tube is positioned in the jejunum.

liver transplantation

Procedure to remove a severely damaged liver from a patient with end-stage liver disease and insert a new liver from a donor. The patient (the recipient) is matched by blood type and tissue type to the donor. Liver transplant patients must take immunosuppressant drugs for the rest of their lives to keep their bodies from rejecting the foreign tissue that is their new liver.

polypectomy

Procedure to remove one or more polyps from the colon using forceps or a snare positioned around the thin stalk of a pedunculated polyp.