thoracoplasty

[ thawr-uh-koh-plas-tee, thohr- ]

noun

, Surgery.

, plural tho·ra·co·plas·ties.

1. the operation removing selected portions of the ribs to collapse part of the underlying lung or an abnormal pleural space, usually in the treatment of tuberculosis.

thoracoplasty

/ ˈθɔːrəkəʊˌplæstɪ /

noun

1. plastic surgery of the thorax
2. surgical removal of several ribs or a part of them to permit the collapse of a diseased lung, used in cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchiectasis

Word History and Origins

Origin of thoracoplasty¹

First recorded in 1885–90; thoraco- + -plasty

Example Sentences

He began to talk about thoracoplasty.

From The New Yorker