noun
cauterization
kaw-tur-ih-ZAY-shuhn/kˌɔtɝɪzˈeɪʃʌn/
Burning tissue to seal or destroy it as a medical treatment.
The surgeon uses cauterization to seal the small bleeding vessel.
Etymology
The verb meant “to burn or brand with a hot iron.” This image of searing flesh with a heated tool underlies the medical practice of deliberately burning tissue to close wounds or destroy abnormal cells.
In context
If a child (or adult) has a persistent recurrent nosebleed, cauterization can be considered to try and prevent them from happening in the future.
More examples
- The medical record describes the area treated by cauterization.
- The instrument allows precise cauterization of the tissue.
- The lecture reviews the history of surgical cauterization.
Similar words
- ablation
- Removal or destruction of tissue through various methods.
- coagulation
- Formation of a clot rather than necessarily deliberate tissue burning.