Plural of costotomy; surgical procedures in which ribs are cut or divided to access the thoracic cavity.
From Greek kostos 'rib' plus -tomy 'cutting or incision.' The plural form of the medical procedure combining ancient anatomical language with surgical terminology.
Costotomies are major surgery—when surgeons cut your ribs apart to reach your lungs or heart, it's not something that heals quickly, which is why recovery from open heart surgery takes months of careful rehabilitation.
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