A surgical procedure in which an incision is made into the liver tissue to remove a tumor, abscess, or other abnormal growth.
From Greek 'hepato-' (liver) + '-tomy' (cutting), derived from 'tome' meaning to cut. The term emerged in medical terminology during the 19th century as surgical techniques advanced.
This word perfectly demonstrates how medical language builds from Greek roots—you can actually understand what a doctor is doing just by breaking down the word parts, even if you've never heard it before. It's like a linguistic blueprint for surgery.
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