paracentesis

American  

[par-uh-sen-tee-sis] / ˌpær ə sɛnˈti sɪs /

noun

Surgery.

plural

paracenteses

1. puncture of the wall of a cavity to drain off fluid.

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paracentesis British  

/ ˌpærəsɛnˈtiːsɪs /

noun

1. med the surgical puncture of a body cavity in order to draw off excess fluid

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Etymology

Origin of paracentesis

1590–1600; < Latin paracentēsis perforation, tapping < Greek parakéntēsis, equivalent to parakentē-, variant stem of parakenteîn to prick beside ( para- para- ¹ + kenteîn to prick, pierce) + -sis -sis

Example Sentences

The pathology seemed quite obscure, and the surgeon remained almost passive till August, when he performed paracentesis on the left eye.

From Neuralgia and the Diseases that Resemble it by Anstie, Francis E.

In heart-injuries, paracentesis, followed, if necessary, by incision of the pericardium, is advised by some surgeons.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)

Can it be felt by the hand or by the patient before the disease is too great to admit of cure by the paracentesis?

From Zoonomia, Vol. II Or, the Laws of Organic Life by Darwin, Erasmus

Every probable means to relieve her had been attempted by Dr. Groome, but to no purpose; and she had undergone the operation of the paracentesis repeatedly.

From An Account of the Foxglove and some of its Medical Uses With Practical Remarks on Dropsy and Other Diseases by Withering, William

There are three kinds; the first is ascites, due to the presence of watery fluid, for which we do paracentesis; second, tympany, when the abdomen is swollen from the presence of air or gas.

From Old-Time Makers of Medicine The Story of The Students And Teachers of the Sciences Related to Medicine During the Middle Ages by Walsh, James Joseph