What does enterotomy mean?
An enterotomy is a surgical incision made into the intestine. The term comes from Greek roots meaning 'intestine' (enteron) and 'cutting' (tomia), so it describes its own procedure with clinical precision. Surgeons perform an enterotomy for a variety of reasons, most commonly to remove foreign bodies that have been swallowed, to extract stones that have migrated into the bowel, to relieve obstructions, or to open the intestine for inspection or repair. The procedure is well established in both human and veterinary surgery, where animals that swallow indigestible objects are frequent candidates. Because it is a precise technical term, enterotomy appears almost entirely in medical literature, operative reports, and specialist discussion rather than general conversation. It should not be confused with enterectomy, which refers to removing part of the intestine rather than cutting into it.
nounA surgical incision into the intestine, typically performed to remove a foreign body, relieve an obstruction, or access the bowel's interior.
- A surgical incision made into the intestine, usually to remove a foreign object or obstruction or to gain access to the intestinal lumen.
"The surgeon performed an enterotomy to extract the gallstone lodged in the small intestine."
"The veterinary surgeon performed an enterotomy on the dog to remove the swallowed corn cob."
"During the operation, a longitudinal enterotomy allowed the team to retrieve several impacted bezoars."
Standard pluralization following the regular English pattern for nouns ending in -y preceded by a consonant.
"The textbook illustrates several techniques for closure of enterotomies."
From the Greek for 'gut-cutting', enterotomy is one of those surgical terms that tells you exactly what happens in the operating room — no translation required.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does enterotomy come from?
Enterotomy derives from ancient Greek: enteron, meaning 'intestine' or 'bowel', combined with tomia, meaning 'a cutting'. The same combining roots appear throughout medical terminology, giving rise to related terms such as enteric, enteritis, and a whole family of '-otomy' procedures like gastrotomy and tracheotomy. The word entered English as part of the broader adoption of Greek-based surgical nomenclature in modern medicine.
How enterotomy is actually used
A strictly technical medical term used almost exclusively in surgical contexts; it is rare in everyday speech and would be unfamiliar to most lay readers.
Easily confused with enterotomy
An enterotomy is an incision into the intestine, whereas an enterectomy is the surgical removal of a portion of the intestine.
Enteritis is inflammation of the intestine, while enterotomy is a deliberate surgical cut into it.