Electrosection

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of cutting or dividing tissue using an electric current for medical procedures
2. A technique involving the application of electricity to incise living cells
3. The method utilized in surgical practices to achieve precision in tissue removal through electrical means

Etymology: Electricity takes its name from the Greek "elektron", meaning amber, because rubbing amber was one of the earliest ways to produce a static charge. That prefix is the first half of this technical compound, joined to "section", from Latin "sectio", a cutting, which comes from "secare", to cut. The meaning follows from the parts. Instead of a steel blade, an electric current parts tissue as it passes through, with the heat it generates doing the cutting. Surgeons use the technique alongside related methods that apply current to seal or destroy tissue.

Synonyms: electrocution, electrodissection