'Open Your Heart' - Surgical Procedures Quiz

Answer: Spine

The lamina is the name given to that part of the vertebrae that forms a roof to the canal that protects the spinal cord and in which it runs; therefore, any procedure that carries the prefix 'lamino' will involve surgery on the spine. A laminoplasty would be carried out in order to relieve pressure on the spinal cord.

In this operation the lamina are hinged open and fixed in position in order to increase the size of the spinal canal. In both the laminotomy and the laminectomy, areas of the lamina are removed or cut into in order to carry out further examination of the interior of the spinal column.

Answer: Cheekbones

Ben Stiller is a fortunate man; as Derek Zoolander he had perfect cheekbones as any flash of Blue Steel will confirm! For those mere mortals amongst us, the only option for possessing cheekbones of such magnificence would be a cosmetic zygomaplasty. The zygoma, or malar, is the bony structure under the eye socket. To carry out a zygomaplasty an incision is made in the mouth through which the zygomatic bone is trimmed until the desired effect is achieved.

Answer: True

Of the three types of orchiectomy, the simple, the subcapsular and the inguinal, the simple orchiectomy is often performed during gender reassignment surgery or as a treatment for prostate cancer in its advanced stages. The subcapsular procedure is also carried out as a prostate cancer treatment and only involves the removal of the tissue surrounding the testicle and not the testicle itself.

The inguinal orchiectomy involves an incision in the patient's groin as opposed to the scrotum; the entire spermatic cord is removed, as well as the testes, in this procedure in order to prevent the spread of disease to other tissues.

The simple and subcapsular procedures are usually carried out under a local anaesthetic whereas the inguinal, invariably, requires a general anaesthetic.

Answer: Annuloplasty

The suffix 'plasty' is applied to procedures that involve making a repair to a structure. An annuloplasty is the term applied to surgery that is performed in order to repair a damaged mitral valve; the mitral valve is a muscular structure in the heart that separates the left atrium from the left ventricle. Those patients diagnosed as suffering with a leaking heart valve will often require an annuloplasty.

Although the annuloplasty involves major surgery, techniques are always being developed that reduce any invasive component in operations of this type to the absolute minimum.

Answer: Glaucoma

Glaucoma is one of a series of diseases which cause a build up of fluid in and around the eye. Unless this pressure is relieved, serious damage to the optic nerve can result which may ultimately lead to blindness. Although glaucoma can be treated with pills and eye drops, more traditional methods which involve invasive procedures are sometimes required.

A trabulectomy is the most commonly performed surgery in treating glaucoma and may be carried out with the patient under a local or a general anaesthetic.

The procedure can be carried out by laser or by more traditional methods which involve removing a small piece of tissue, part of the trabecular meshwork of the eye, which allows any build-up of fluid causing pressure to drain away. Quite honestly, the idea of anyone cutting into my eye, especially if I was conscious, brings me out in a cold sweat.

Answer: Cricothyrotomy

The cricothyrotomy is a procedure that, to all intents, looks like the tracheotomy and is one of the oldest and most widely used surgical procedures. Often seen being performed in film and television, this procedure is not as easy an operation to perform as you might be led to believe.

The cricothyrotomy is used when intubation by other means is not possible due to a blockage and the procedure involves making an incision in the windpipe as low down as possible in order to bypass any blockages higher up the windpipe.

It is only intended to be a short term life saving procedure whilst other medical interventions are not possible to save life. Carrying out a successful tracheotomy involves a degree of manipulation of the vertebrae of the neck; the cricothyrotomy is principally applied when injuries or suspected injuries to the neck make any movement unwise.

Answer: False

This procedure is only carried out on female patients as it involves the removal of the ovaries and uterine tubes. A woman who is having only her ovaries removed will be having an Oophorectomy whereas a woman having her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed will be having the Salpingo-Oophorectomy.

In many cases this procedure will be carried out in order to prevent or lessen the risks of the patient later developing, what might seem to be an unconnected illness, that of breast cancer. To the layman, this surgery may also be confused with the hysterectomy, a procedure which involves the complete removal of the uterus.

Answer: Tonsillectomy

As a child growing up here in England during the 1960s, the removal of the adenoids and tonsils during the same procedure was commonplace. In fact, it has been known for both structures to be removed even while they were healthy and there was no apparent need. I can remember my friends at school telling me excitedly that, after their tonsils had been removed, they were given lots of ice-cream to eat until any wounds had healed sufficiently. I was always jealous that I'd never had mine taken out! This procedure was usually carried out in order to prevent repeated cases of tonsillitis and, in some cases, where breathing difficulties were present.

The removal of the adenoids on their own is known as an adenoidectomy (funnily enough) and although it is rarely performed on adults, it is still one of the most common interventions carried out, even though instances of tonsillectomies have fallen greatly over the last few decades.

Answer: Surgical puncture

There are many types of procedure that fall within the category of a 'centesis' or surgical puncture; giving a sample of blood, the withdrawal of spinal fluids or undergoing a chest drain are all examples. Perhaps the most well-known is amniocentesis in which a sample of amniotic fluid is taken from a pregnant woman in order to check the foetus for any trace of an infection or for any genetic abnormalities.

It is often used to check for Down syndrome. The procedure is normally carried out under a localised anaesthetic, a needle being inserted through the skin, into the womb and then the amniotic sac from which a small sample of the fluid around the foetus is drawn.

Although generally safe, there is always a risk that the foetus may suffer some distress, in some cases to the point where a miscarriage may be induced.

Answer: False

The correct suffix for any procedure which completely removes an organ is an 'ectomy' such as the spleen, a splenectomy or the appendix, an appendectomy. The suffix 'otomy' means that the organ will only be cut into; to remove a diseased section of the organ for example, but not completely remove it.