The surgical removal of the appendix is called?

• A. Appendicitis
• B. Appendectomy
• C. Gastrotomy
• D. Gastrectomy

Answer: (B)

The term for surgical removal of the appendix is appendectomy. In medical terminology, the suffix -ectomy means surgical removal, and appendic- refers to the appendix, the small pouch attached near the junction of the small and large intestines. So appendectomy literally means removing the appendix, which is the procedure done for issues like appendicitis. The other terms refer to different things: appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix, gastrotomy is a surgical incision into the stomach, and gastrectomy is removal of the stomach.