-plasty

Suffix: -plasty

Short Definition

-plasty → Surgical repair, reconstruction, or reshaping of a body part.

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Long Definition

The suffix -plasty refers to a surgical procedure performed to repair, restore, reshape, or reconstruct a tissue or anatomical structure. This may involve altering the shape, improving function, correcting deformities, or restoring normal anatomy after trauma, disease, or congenital abnormalities. Procedures ending in -plasty often involve grafts, implants, reshaping, or removal of damaged tissue.

In coding, -plasty signals that the surgeon performed a reconstructive or restorative operation rather than a removal (-ectomy) or fixation (-desis). Understanding this suffix helps confirm that the CPT code selected aligns with the documented surgical intent.

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Etymology

• From greek plastos (πλαστός) → “formed, molded, shaped”

• Related to Greek verb plassein → “to form or fashion”

• Adopted into medical terminology to describe reshaping or reconstructive surgical techniques

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Related Terms

Term	Meaning	Notes for Coders
-ectomy	Removal/excision	Opposite of reconstruction; tissue is removed, not reshaped.
-rrhaphy	Suturing/repair	Often used for closing or stitching, not reshaping.
-desis	Surgical fusion	Stabilization rather than reconstruction.
-pexy	Surgical fixation	Securing an organ in place, not reshaping it.
-otomy	Cutting/incision	Opening tissue, not repairing or reconstructing.
-oplasty	Variant form of -plasty	Same meaning; used in some terms.

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Common Medical Terms Using -plasty

Orthopedic Examples

• arthroplasty - Surgical reconstruction or replacement of a joint

• Osteoplasty - Surgical reshaping of bone

• Rhinoplasty - Reshaping of the nose (ENT but often orthopedic-adjacent in trauma cases)

Cardiovascular Examples

• Angioplasty - Widening or repairing a blood vessel

• Valvuloplasty - Repair of a heart valve

General Surgery Examples

• Gastroplasty - Reshaping of the stomach (e.g., bariatric surgery)

• Herniaplasty - Repair of a hernia defect

Plastic Surgery Examples

• Mammoplasty - Reconstruction or reshaping of the breast

• Blepharoplasty - Eyelid reshaping

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Common Uses in Clinical Documentation

Coders will often see -plasty used in operative reports describing:

• Reconstruction after trauma (e.g., nasal fracture → rhinoplasty)

• Cosmetic or functional reshaping (e.g., blepharoplasty for ptosis)

• Restoration of normal anatomy (e.g., arthroplasty for degenerative joint disease)

• Repair of congenital defects (e.g., valvuloplasty for congenital valve stenosis)

• Minimally invasive vascular repairs (e.g., balloon angioplasty)

Documentation clues that signal a -plasty procedure:

• “Reconstructed”

• “Reshaped”

• “Repaired”

• “Restored”

• “Recontoured”

• “Implant placed”

• “Graft used to rebuild”

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Coder’s Notes

• -plasty ≠ replacement unless specified. Example: arthroplasty may be partial or total — CPT selection depends on documentation.

• Look for grafts, implants, or prosthetics — these often affect coding and supply charges.

• Confirm laterality for orthopedic and ENT procedures.

• Verify medical necessity through diagnosis codes (e.g., osteoarthritis → arthroplasty)

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DERIVATIONS of -rrhaphy

TABLE definition AS Definition 
WHERE length(filter(roots, (word) => econtains([[]].roots, word))) > 0 AND file.name !=[[]].file.name
SORT file.name ASC

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Query

TABLE definition AS Definition
FROM #medroot
WHERE length(filter(definition, (word) => econtains([[]].definition, word))) > 0 AND file.name != [[]].file.name

Med terms dictionary Appendix A Prefixes Appendix B Combining Forms Appendix C Suffixes Appendix D Suffix forms