American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) Practice Exam

The suffix -tomy is associated with which of the following actions?

1. Repair of tissues

2. Cutting or incision

3. Binding or fusion

4. Creation of an opening

The correct answer is: Cutting or incision

The suffix -tomy is derived from the Greek word "tomia," which means "to cut." In medical terminology, it specifically refers to the action of making an incision or a cut in a part of the body. This can encompass a variety of surgical procedures where cutting into tissues is necessary, such as in appendectomy (removal of the appendix), laparotomy (incision into the abdominal cavity), and others. This understanding emphasizes the surgical context in which the term is used, indicating that -tomy is fundamentally linked to procedures involving cutting. The other options involve different surgical actions: for instance, repair of tissues aligns more with the suffix -plasty, binding or fusion relates to -desis, and the creation of an opening usually corresponds to -stomy (which is often confused because it sounds similar). Thus, the association of -tomy with cutting or incising is clear and precise.