Nephropexy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A surgical procedure in which a displaced or movable kidney is fixed to the abdominal wall to restore its normal position
2. An operation that anchors a loose or abnormally positioned kidney by attaching it to the surrounding tissues
3. A surgical technique for stabilizing a kidney that has shifted from its proper location by securing it in place

Etymology: Nephropexy is a surgical term built entirely from Greek parts: "nephros" meaning kidney, and "pexis" meaning fixing or fastening, from the Greek verb "pēgnynai," to fasten. Joined together, the pieces describe exactly what the operation does, which is to fix a kidney in place by stitching it to the surrounding tissue. The word is a classic example of how medical language is built. Surgeons and anatomists in the modern period took classical Greek roots and combined them into new terms for procedures that the ancient writers never performed. The suffix "-pexy" follows the same pattern as other surgical names ending in "-pexy," such as those for fixing the uterus or the rectum, so a reader who knows one has a good clue to the rest.