dissection
[dĭ-sek´shun] 1. the act of dissecting.
2. a part or whole of an organism prepared by dissecting.
aortic dissection a
dissecting aneurysm of the aorta; the usual site is the thoracic aorta. There are two types, classified according to anatomical location:
Type A involves the ascending aorta;
Type B originates in the descending aorta. Acute aortic dissection is often fatal within one month of onset. Surgical treatment may be delayed in aneurysms involving the descending aorta until the blood pressure has been controlled and edema and friability of the aorta are diminished. The usual course of treatment for an aneurysm of the ascending aorta is immediate surgery. The surgical procedure for either type is aimed at either repairing the intimal tear or removing the affected portion of the aorta. This may be done by suturing the separated aortic layers back together or by removing the damaged section of the aorta and replacing it with a synthetic graft.
blunt dissection separation of tissues along natural lines of cleavage, by means of a blunt instrument or finger.
lymph node dissection, retroperitoneal (RPLND) retroperitoneal
lymphadenectomy.
sharp dissection separation of tissues by means of the sharp edge of a knife or scalpel, or with scissors.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.