A surgical incision made into both the stomach and the colon, typically to repair an obstruction or perform diagnostic examination.
From Greek 'gastro-' (stomach), 'colon' (large intestine), and '-tomy' (incision or cutting). The term describes a surgical procedure involving cutting into both organs.
The distinction between '-stomy' (creating an opening that stays) and '-tomy' (making an incision) is crucial in surgery—knowing these suffixes helps you instantly understand whether a procedure is temporary or permanent.
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