lap choly
Noun: - Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A surgical procedure for removing the gallbladder. The operation is performed through several small incisions in the abdomen, which allow for the insertion of a laparoscope (a thin tube with a camera) and specialized surgical instruments.
"Lap choly" is a medical abbreviation and informal term used primarily by healthcare professionals. It is a clipped form of "laparoscopic cholecystectomy." This term is common in clinical notes, spoken medical jargon, and informal discussions among medical staff. It is not typically used in formal patient education materials or general public discourse, where the full term is preferred for clarity.
- The patient was scheduled for a lap choly due to symptomatic gallstones.
- After the lap choly, the patient experienced a much shorter recovery time compared to traditional open surgery.
- The surgeon performs several lap cholies each week.
- The term is almost exclusively used as a noun to refer to the procedure itself.
- It can sometimes be seen in verb form in very informal medical contexts (e.g., "We're going to lap choly him tomorrow"), but this is non-standard.
- Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (n): The full, formal term for the procedure.
- Cholecystectomy (n): The general term for surgical removal of the gallbladder, which can be performed via open surgery or laparoscopically.
- Laparoscopy (n): A surgical diagnostic procedure using a laparoscope. A "lap choly" is a specific type of laparoscopy.
- Keyhole surgery (for gallbladder removal): A layperson's term describing the minimally invasive technique.
- Minimally invasive cholecystectomy: A more descriptive clinical synonym.
- Open cholecystectomy: The traditional surgical method for removing the gallbladder through a single, larger abdominal incision.
This term has only one specific meaning: the minimally invasive surgical removal of the gallbladder. It does not have idiomatic or phrasal verb uses.
- removal of the gall bladder through small punctures in the abdomen to permit the insertion of a laparoscope and surgical instruments