Hepatopexy

/ˈhɛpətəˌpɛksi/ noun

Definition

A surgical procedure that fixes or secures the liver to the abdominal wall to prevent excessive movement or sagging.

Etymology

From Greek 'hepato-' (liver) + 'pexy' (fixation, from 'pegnunai' meaning to fasten). A synonym for hepatopexia, this shorter term became the preferred medical vocabulary in modern surgical practice.

Kelly Says

Medical language is full of synonyms and variant spellings from different eras—hepatopexy and hepatopexia mean the same thing, but hepatopexy won out as the standard term. It's like how 'car' and 'automobile' mean the same thing, but we use 'car' more often.

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