American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) Practice Exam

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The suffix -stomy refers to which of the following?

Surgical removal
Instrument for viewing
Surgical creation of an opening
Puncture, tap

The correct answer is: Surgical creation of an opening

The suffix -stomy is used in medical terminology to denote the surgical creation of an opening. It is derived from the Greek word "stoma," which means "mouth" or "opening." When a procedure involves -stomy, it typically indicates a purposeful opening made in a specific organ or structure of the body to allow for drainage or the passage of substances. For example, a colostomy involves creating an opening in the intestines, allowing waste to exit the body through an opening in the abdominal wall. In contrast, surgical removal would refer to suffixes such as -ectomy, while an instrument for viewing would be related to prefixes or suffixes like -scope or -scopy, which indicate viewing inside the body. The term for a puncture or tap procedure typically uses suffixes like -centesis. Each of these terms indicates distinctly different medical procedures, emphasizing the importance of suffixes in accurately describing surgical actions and interventions.