TREPHINATION Meaning and
Definition
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Trephination, also known as trepanation, is a medical procedure that involves creating a hole or opening in the skull by removing a circular section of bone or using a drill. This technique has been practiced for thousands of years and has evolved over time.
Trephination can be conducted for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes. Therapeutically, it is believed to alleviate conditions such as chronic headaches, seizures, and mental illnesses by releasing pressure inside the skull. In the past, some cultures also performed trephination as a spiritual or religious ritual, associating it with the release of evil spirits or the promotion of enlightenment.
From a diagnostic perspective, trephination facilitates access to the brain and intracranial structures, enabling surgeons to treat and study conditions like tumors, brain abscesses, and hemorrhages more effectively.
While trephination is a surgical procedure, it carries risks and should be performed by trained medical professionals. In modern medicine, it has largely been replaced by less invasive techniques, such as CT scans and MRI scans, which provide detailed imaging of the brain. However, trephination is still occasionally utilized in certain contexts where it is deemed necessary or beneficial.
Overall, trephination is a historical procedure involving the creation of an opening in the skull to either treat medical conditions or gain access to the brain for diagnostic purposes.
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A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for TREPHINATION
- rrephination
- frephination
- grephination
- yrephination
- 6rephination
- 5rephination
- teephination
- tdephination
- tfephination
- ttephination
- t5ephination
- t4ephination
- trwphination
- trsphination
- trdphination
- trrphination
- tr4phination
- tr3phination
- treohination
Etymology of TREPHINATION
The word "trephination" comes from the Greek roots "trēpanon" (meaning "bore" or "auger") and "trēpō" (meaning "to turn" or "to bore"). The term was originally used in ancient Greek medicine to describe the surgical procedure of creating a hole or opening in the skull. Over time, the word evolved to its current form - "trephination" - to refer to the act of cutting or drilling into the skull for various medical purposes.
Similar spelling words for TREPHINATION
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