‑plasty

DEFINITION of ‑plasty

The suffix ‑plasty denotes operative procedures that restore, reshape, or reconstruct a structure using plastic surgical techniques, often involving tissue grafts, flaps, or implants. It implies more than simple incision (‑tomy) or removal (‑ectomy)—it focuses on functional or cosmetic restoration, as in otoplasty (ear reshaping) or angioplasty (artery repair). In coding, terms ending in ‑plasty map to specific CPT codes (e.g., 69000 series for ear tympanoplasty).

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ETYMOLOGY of ‑plasty

greek From Greek ‑plastía meaning “molding, forming,” derived from plastós “molded, formed” (verbal adjective of plássein “to mold, shape”). The root evokes clay or wax modeling, hence its use in “plastic” surgery for reshaping body parts.

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RELATED TERMS to ‑plasty

Term	Meaning	Prefix/Suffix?	Notes
‑plasty	surgical repair	-	-
‑ectomy	excision	suffix	-
‑tomy	incision	suffix	-

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DERIVATIONS of ‑plasty

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Query functionality

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