Which suffix means surgical removal of?

• A. Ectomy: surgical removal of
• B. Algia: pertaining to pain
• C. Megaly: enlargement
• D. Ic: pertaining to

Answer: (A)

In medical terminology, the suffix that indicates a surgical procedure is -ectomy. It signals the removal of a part of the body, turning the root into the name of a procedure, as in appendectomy (removal of the appendix) or hysterectomy (removal of the uterus). The other suffixes have different meanings: -algia means pain, -megaly means enlargement, and -ic means pertaining to. Since those describe pain, size, or a characteristic, not removal, they don’t indicate a surgical removal.