Medical Terminology
Suffixes: Surgical, Diagnostic,
Symptomatic, and Related
Where terms come from?
Greek or Latin
Word
Nephros (Gr)
Word Root
Meaning
Nephr
Kidney
Oris (L)
Or
Mouth
Renes (L)
Ren
Kidney
Dermatos (Gr)
Derm
Skin
Combining vowels
Word Root
Vowel
Gastr
O
Combining
Form
Gastr/o
Meaning
Hepat
O
Hepat/o
Liver
Immun
O
Immun/o
Oste
O
Oste/o
Immune,
safe
bone
stomach
Suffixes Denoting Incisions
 -centesis puncture
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arthrocentesis
-ectomy excision, removal
appendectomy
-stomy forming an opening (mouth)
colostomy
-tome instrument to cut
osteotome
-tomy incision, cut into
phlebotomy
Suffixes Denoting Reconstructive
Surgeries
 -desis
binding, fixation (of a bone, joint)
arthrodesis
 -pexy
suspension, fixation (of an organ)
mastopexy
 -rrhaphy suture
myorrhaphy
 -plasty
surgical repair
rhinoplasty
Suffixes Denoting Refractururing,
Loosening, or Crushing



-clasis break, fracture
osteoclasis
-lysis
separation, destruction, loosening
enterolysis
-tripsy crushing
lithotripsy
Diagnostic, Symptomatic, and
Related Suffixes
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-algia
cephalalgia
-dynia
gastrodynia
-cele
hepatocele
-ectasis
bronchiectasis
pain
pain
hernia, swelling
dilation, expansion
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-emesis
vomiting
hyperemesis
-emia
blood condition
leukemia
-gen or -genesis forming, producing, origin
carcinogen or osteogenesis
-gram
record, a writing
cardiogram
-graph
instrument
cardiograph
-graphy
process of recording
cardiography
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-iasis
abnormal condition
cholelithiasis
-itis
inflammation
gastritis
-lith
stone, calculus
cholelith
-logist
specialist in the study of
dermatologist
-logy
study of
psychology
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-malacia
osteomalacia
-megaly
hepatomegaly
-meter
thermometer
-metry
pelvimetry
-oid
lipoid
softening
enlargement
instrument for recording
act of measuring
resembling
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-oma
tumor
adenoma
-osis
abnormal condition, increase
dermatosis
-para
to bear (also a prefix)
multipara
-paresis
partial paralysis
hemaparesis
-pathy
disease
neuropathy
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-penia
decrease, deficiency
leukopenia
-phagia
eating, swallowing
dysphagia
-phasia
speech
aphasia
-philia
attraction to
hemophilia
-phobia
fear
claustrophobia
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-plasia
formation, growth
hyperplasia
-plegia
paralysis, stroke
hemiplegia
-poiesis
formation, production
hemopoiesis
-ptosis
prolapse
hysteroptosis
-rrhage or -rrhagia
bursting forth
hemorrhage or menorrhagia
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-rrhea
discharge, flow
diarrhea
-rrhexis rupture
angiorrhexis
-scope
instrument to view
gastroscope
-scopy
visual examination
gastroscopy
-spasm
involuntary contraction
blepharospasm
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-stasis
standing still
hemostasis
-stenosis
narrowing, stricture
arteriostenosis
-toxic
poison
thyrotoxic
-trophy
development, nourishment
atrophy
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End