Terminology: Procedures Flashcards

A patient with coronary artery disease is informed they will undergo a procedure where a catheter with a small balloon is used to widen a blocked artery. Which medical procedure is being described?

Answer: Angioplasty

Angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure specifically designed to widen narrowed or obstructed arteries by inflating a balloon at the site of the blockage. A CABG is open-heart surgery to create a new path for blood flow. An atherectomy involves removing plaque from the artery, and an echocardiogram is a diagnostic ultrasound of the heart.

Which of the following is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a small camera inserted through a tiny incision to diagnose and treat problems inside a joint?

Answer: Arthroscopy

Arthroscopy involves inserting an arthroscope, a thin tube with a camera, into a joint to visualize and treat conditions. Arthrocentesis is the aspiration of fluid from a joint. Laparoscopy is a similar procedure but for the abdominal cavity. A myelogram is an imaging test of the spinal canal.

A physician removes a small sample of tissue from a patient's liver to be examined under a microscope for signs of disease. This procedure is best defined as a:

Answer: Biopsy

A biopsy is the removal of a sample of tissue from the body for examination to determine the presence or extent of a disease. A resection is the surgical removal of a larger part of an organ or tissue. Cytology is the study of cells, not the procedure itself. Aspiration involves removing fluid with a needle.

A patient with ascites, a large accumulation of fluid in the abdomen due to liver disease, is scheduled for a therapeutic procedure to drain the excess fluid. This procedure is called:

Answer: Paracentesis

Paracentesis is the specific medical procedure for draining fluid from the peritoneal (abdominal) cavity. Thoracentesis is the draining of fluid from the space around the lungs. Amniocentesis involves drawing amniotic fluid, and hemodialysis is a procedure to filter blood for patients with kidney failure.

Which of the following is a general term for a nonsurgical procedure that uses a flexible tube with a light and camera to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body?

Answer: Endoscopy

Endoscopy is the broad term for a procedure that involves inserting an endoscope (a flexible tube with a light and camera) into the body to observe an internal organ or tissue in detail. Fluoroscopy is an X-ray imaging technique. Cauterization is the burning of tissue. Intubation is the placement of a breathing tube.

After an abnormal Pap smear, a patient is scheduled for a procedure where the provider uses a magnifying instrument to get a closer look at the cervix. What is this procedure called?

Answer: Colposcopy

A colposcopy is the standard follow-up procedure for an abnormal Pap test, where a colposcope is used to provide a magnified view of the cervix, vagina, and vulva to check for abnormal cells. A hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus. A cystoscopy examines the bladder, and a laparoscopy examines the abdomen.