Cerebrotomy

/ˌsɛrəˈbrɒtəmi/ noun

Definition

A surgical procedure involving an incision or dissection of the brain.

Etymology

From cerebro- (brain) and -tomy (a suffix meaning 'surgical cutting,' from Greek tome). This medical term was more common in earlier eras when brain surgery was more experimental and less precise.

Kelly Says

Cerebrotomy sounds terrifying, but it's actually a historical predecessor to modern neurosurgery—it reminds us that brain surgery didn't exist at all before the late 1800s.

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