How Do You Spell LITHOTRIPSY?

Pronunciation: [lˈɪθətɹˌɪpsi] (IPA)

Lithotripsy is a medical procedure used to break up kidney stones. The spelling of this word can be challenging because of its Greek roots. The first part of the word, "litho," comes from lithos, meaning "stone." Meanwhile, the second part, "tripsy," comes from tripsis, meaning "a rubbing, friction." To pronounce the word, you would say "lih-thuh-trip-see." The "th" sound in the first syllable is pronounced like a "t" followed by an "h." The "i" in the second syllable is pronounced like "ih."

LITHOTRIPSY Meaning and Definition

1. Lithotripsy is a medical procedure used to break down kidney stones or other hard deposits in the body without the need for invasive surgery. It involves the use of shock waves or laser energy to fragment the stones into smaller pieces, allowing them to be passed out of the body more easily.

   This process is typically performed by a urologist or other medical professionals in a hospital or outpatient clinic setting. Lithotripsy can be conducted using various techniques, including extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) or intracorporeal lithotripsy.

   During extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, a machine delivers high-energy shock waves externally to the body, targeting the location of the stone. These shock waves pass through the skin, muscles, and other soft tissues, reaching the stone and causing it to break apart into smaller fragments, which can then be excreted through urine.

   Intracorporeal lithotripsy, on the other hand, involves the use of specialized instruments inserted directly into the body, through natural body openings or tiny incisions. These instruments can emit laser energy or mechanical vibrations, which are targeted at the stone to break it down.

   Lithotripsy is considered a minimally invasive procedure, as it eliminates the need for traditional surgical techniques such as open stone removal. It is commonly used for treating kidney stones of various sizes, as well as other conditions involving hard deposits in organs like the bladder or gallbladder.

   Overall, lithotripsy has revolutionized the treatment of kidney stones and similar conditions, providing a safer and less invasive alternative to traditional surgery.

2. The operation of crushing a stone in the bladder or urethra.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for LITHOTRIPSY

• kithotripsy
• pithotripsy
• oithotripsy
• luthotripsy
• ljthotripsy
• lkthotripsy
• lothotripsy
• l9thotripsy
• l8thotripsy
• lirhotripsy
• lifhotripsy
• lighotripsy
• liyhotripsy
• li6hotripsy
• li5hotripsy
• litgotripsy
• litbotripsy
• litnotripsy
• litjotripsy

Etymology of LITHOTRIPSY

The word "lithotripsy" has its roots in Greek. It is derived from two Greek words: "lithos" (λίθος), meaning "stone", and "tripsis" (τρίψις), meaning "friction" or "rubbing". Therefore, "lithotripsy" literally translates to "stone rubbing". This etymology accurately reflects the medical procedure it represents, which involves breaking down or removing stones (usually kidney stones) using mechanical or shock wave energy.

Plural form of LITHOTRIPSY is LITHOTRIPSIES