What term means surgical creation of an artificial opening to the body surface?

What term means surgical creation of an artificial opening to the body surface?

• A. Ostomy
• B. Osteon
• C. -plasty
• D. Crani/o

Answer: (A)

Think about procedures that create a new opening to the body surface. The term for that is ostomy—the act of surgically bringing an internal passage to the outside. It’s the basis for terms like colostomy or ileostomy, where the colon or ileum is connected to the abdominal wall to allow waste to exit. Other terms don’t describe creating an opening. Osteon is the microscopic structural unit of bone, not a surgical procedure. The suffix -plasty means surgical repair or reconstruction, not opening creation. Crani/o refers to the skull, not a procedure.

Think about procedures that create a new opening to the body surface. The term for that is ostomy—the act of surgically bringing an internal passage to the outside. It’s the basis for terms like colostomy or ileostomy, where the colon or ileum is connected to the abdominal wall to allow waste to exit.

Other terms don’t describe creating an opening. Osteon is the microscopic structural unit of bone, not a surgical procedure. The suffix -plasty means surgical repair or reconstruction, not opening creation. Crani/o refers to the skull, not a procedure.