Which term describes a surgical opening into the stomach?

Which term describes a surgical opening into the stomach?

• A. Enterotomy
• B. Gastrotomy
• C. Gastropexy
• D. Epistaxis

Answer: (D)

When naming surgical procedures, the word parts guide the meaning. Gastro- means stomach, and -tomy denotes cutting into or making an incision. So a gastrotomy is an incision into the stomach, i.e., a surgical opening into the stomach. In contrast, entering the intestine would be an enterotomy; attaching the stomach to the abdominal wall is a gastropexy, and epistaxis refers to a nosebleed, which has nothing to do with the stomach. If the goal were to create a permanent opening from the stomach to the outside for feeding, that would be a gastrostomy, not gastrotomy.

When naming surgical procedures, the word parts guide the meaning. Gastro- means stomach, and -tomy denotes cutting into or making an incision. So a gastrotomy is an incision into the stomach, i.e., a surgical opening into the stomach. In contrast, entering the intestine would be an enterotomy; attaching the stomach to the abdominal wall is a gastropexy, and epistaxis refers to a nosebleed, which has nothing to do with the stomach. If the goal were to create a permanent opening from the stomach to the outside for feeding, that would be a gastrostomy, not gastrotomy.