Suffixes to Know for Medical Terminology

This flashcard set targets memorizing and understanding the meanings of various suffixes often used by healthcare providers. These suffixes are efficient for understanding surgical, diagnostic, pathological, grammatical, and diminutive forms in the healthcare field.

-ectomy

excision; removal

-centesis

surgical puncture

-pexy

fixation of an organ

-clasis

to cause a surgical fracture

-plasty

surgical repairing

-tripsy

to shatter or crush

-lysis

separation; destruction; loosening

-rrhaphy

suture (stitching sutures through tissues)

-ostomy

to create an opening

-scope

instrument for examination

-scopy

procedure for visual examination

-graph

instrument for recording

-graphy

process of recording

-meter

instrument for measuring

-metry

act of measuring

-gram

the results of recording

-algia, -dynia,

pain

-plasia, -plasm

a formation or growth

-gen, -genesis

forming; producing origin

-rrhage, -rrhagia

bursting forth (of)

-edema

swelling

-cele

hernia; swelling

-lith

stone; calculus

-osis

an abnormal condition; increase

-ic

pertaining to

-al

pertaining to

-ous

pertaining to

-ile

pertaining to

-cian or -ist

a specialist

-esis

condition

-ia

condition

-ism

condition

-ule

small; minute

-pathy

condition

-ary

pertaining to

-ar

pertaining to