ABLATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does ablation mean? 

• ABLATION (noun)
  The noun ABLATION has 2 senses:

1. surgical removal of a body part or tissue

2. the erosive process that reduces the size of glaciers

  Familiarity information: ABLATION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ABLATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Surgical removal of a body part or tissue

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

ablation; cutting out; excision; extirpation

Hypernyms ("ablation" is a kind of...):

operation; surgery; surgical operation; surgical procedure; surgical process (a medical procedure involving an incision with instruments; performed to repair damage or arrest disease in a living body)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ablation"):

sigmoidectomy (surgical removal of part or all of the sigmoid colon (usually to remove a malignant tumor))

oophorectomy; ovariectomy (surgical removal of one of both ovaries)

oophorosalpingectomy (surgical removal of one or both ovaries and the corresponding Fallopian tubes)

ophthalmectomy (surgical removal of an eye)

orchidectomy; orchiectomy (surgical removal of one or both testicles)

pancreatectomy (surgical removal of part or all of the pancreas)

pneumonectomy (surgical removal of a lung (usually to treat lung cancer))

prostatectomy (surgical removal of part or all of the prostate gland)

salpingectomy (surgical removal of one or both Fallopian tubes)

septectomy (surgical removal of all or part of a septum (especially the nasal septum or atrial septum))

neurectomy (surgical removal of all or part of a nerve)

splenectomy (surgical removal of the spleen)

stapedectomy (surgical removal of the stapes of the middle ear)

sympathectomy (surgical interruption of a nerve pathway in the sympathetic nervous system)

thrombectomy (surgical removal of a blood clot (thrombus) from a blood vessel)

thyroidectomy (surgical removal of the thyroid gland)

tonsillectomy (surgical removal of the palatine tonsils; commonly performed along with adenoidectomy)

vasectomy (surgical procedure that removes all or part of the vas deferens (usually as a means of sterilization); is sometimes reversible)

vulvectomy (surgical removal of part or all of the vulva)

laminectomy (surgical removal of the bony arches on one or more vertebrae)

adrenalectomy; suprarenalectomy (surgical removal of one or both adrenal glands)

appendectomy; appendicectomy (surgical removal of the vermiform appendix)

cholecystectomy (surgical removal of the gall bladder (usually for relief of gallstone pain))

clitoridectomy; female circumcision (excision of the clitoris)

embolectomy (surgical removal of an embolus (usually from an artery))

endarterectomy (surgical removal of the inner lining of an artery that is clogged with atherosclerosis)

enervation (surgical removal of a nerve)

hypophysectomy (surgical removal of the pituitary gland)

hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus)

adenoidectomy (surgical removal of the adenoids; commonly performed along with tonsillectomy)

laryngectomy (surgical removal of part or all of the larynx (usually to treat cancer of the larynx))

lithotomy (surgical removal of a stone (calculus))

lobectomy (surgical removal of a lobe from any organ of the body (as the lung or brain))

lumpectomy (surgical removal of a tumor without removing much of the surrounding tissue or lymph nodes; performed in some cases of breast cancer)

mastectomy (surgical removal of a breast to remove a malignant tumor)

mastoidectomy (surgical removal of some or all of the mastoid process)

meniscectomy (surgical removal of the meniscus of the knee)

nephrectomy (surgical removal of a kidney)

Derivation:

ablate (remove an organ or bodily structure)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The erosive process that reduces the size of glaciers

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Hypernyms ("ablation" is a kind of...):

eating away; eroding; erosion; wearing; wearing away ((geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it))

Derivation:

ablate (wear away through erosion or vaporization)

 Context examples 

Also called alcohol ablation, PEI, and percutaneous ethanol injection.

(Ethanol ablation, NCI Dictionary)

The treatment may include administration of hormones or hormone analogs to the patient, or decreasing the level of hormones in the body by using hormone antagonists, or hormone ablation therapy.

(Endocrine therapy, NCI Thesaurus)

This may result from surgical or radiation ablation, non-secretory pituitary neoplasms, metastatic tumors, infarction, pituitary apoplexy, infiltrative or granulomatous processes, and other conditions.

(Hypopituitarism, NCI Thesaurus)

Also called alcohol ablation, ethanol ablation, and percutaneous ethanol injection.

(PEI, NCI Dictionary)

Peripheral stem cell transplants are performed following partial or complete bone marrow ablation of a patient, done as therapy for certain blood diseases or following high dose chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer.

(Peripheral Stem Cell Transplant, NCI Thesaurus)

Also called alcohol ablation, ethanol ablation, and PEI.

(Percutaneous ethanol injection, NCI Dictionary)

Ablation may be performed by surgery, hormones, drugs, radiofrequency, heat, or other methods.

(Ablation, NCI Dictionary)

Has been used as a radiopharmaceutical in complexes with radioactive metals for bone marrow ablation.

(DOTMP, NCI Thesaurus)

Also called androgen ablation and androgen deprivation.

(Androgen suppression, NCI Dictionary)

Also called androgen ablation and androgen suppression.

(Androgen deprivation, NCI Dictionary)