Laryngotomies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A surgical procedure that involves making an incision into the larynx to provide access to the airway or to treat conditions affecting the vocal cords
2. This operation often aims to relieve airway obstruction or to obtain a biopsy from the laryngeal tissue
3. It can be performed for emergency situations or as a planned procedure for chronic issues associated with the throat or voice

Etymology: "Laryngotomies" is the plural of "laryngotomy," a surgical procedure in which the larynx is opened. The word is built from "laryngo-," a combining form drawn from the Greek "larynx," meaning the throat or voice box, and "-tomy," from the Greek "tomē," meaning a cutting, which also gives English "anatomy" and "appendectomy" its suffix. Put together, the term literally means "cutting into the larynx." Because the element "-tomy" is a productive suffix in medical vocabulary, surgeons have long formed names for operations by attaching it to the name of the organ involved, so "laryngotomy" follows the same pattern as older coinages built on Greek roots. The plural simply adds the usual "-ies" ending that English uses for nouns ending in a consonant plus "y."