preventive surgery
Cutting before trouble
Preventive surgery is an operation performed to remove tissue that isn't yet diseased but poses a significant risk of becoming so.
The term most often refers to procedures like mastectomy or removal of the ovaries in patients with genetic mutations that dramatically increase cancer risk: She opted for preventive surgery after testing positive for the BRCA gene.
Also called prophylactic surgery.
- prophylacticMeasure preventing disease or harm
- double mastectomyRemoval of both breasts
- mastectomySurgical breast removal
- removalAct of taking away
- risk assessmentEvaluating likelihood of harm
BRCA · preemptive · elective · excision · oncology · screening · early detection · genetic · biopsy · consultation · informed consent · decision · scalpel · hospital · gown · anesthesia · going under · recovery
- preventionflu shot, flu shots, protect, vaccines, avoid
- surgeriesappendectomy, hysterectomy, mastectomy, cholecystectomy, tonsillectomy
- breast cancerbreast cancer, mastectomy, mammogram, lumpectomy, mammography
preventive surgeryemergency surgery
Immediate unscheduled medical procedure
corrective surgery · surgical treatment · cancer surgery · reconstructive surgery
preventive surgerytreatment
Care for an ailment
therapy · cure · remediation · disease management · palliative care
preventive surgerywatchful waiting
Monitoring before acting
medical neglect · observation · monitoring · non-intervention · letting nature take its course
preventive, surgery, prevent, surgical, surgeon, prevention, preventative, prevented, preventing