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chemosurgery | removal of tissue after it has been destroyed by chemical means |
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chemical peel | a technique for restoring wrinkled, scarred, or blemished skin by applying an acid solution to “peel” away the top layers of the skin |
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cryosurgery | destruction of tissue by freezing with application of an extremely cold chemical (e.g., liquid nitrogen) |
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dermabrasion | surgical removal of epidermis frozen by aerosol spray using wire brushes and emery papers to remove scars, tattoos, and/or wrinkles |
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debridement | removal of dead tissue from a wound or burn site to promote healing and to prevent infection |
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curettage | cleaning; scraping a wound using a spoon-like cutting instrument called a curette; used for debridement |
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electrosurgical procedures | use of electric current to destroy tissue; the type and strength of the current and method of application vary |
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electrocautery (Fig. 3-18) | use of an instrument heated by electric current (cautery) to coagulate bleeding areas by burning the tissue (e.g., to sear a blood vessel) |
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electrodesiccation | use of high-frequency electric currents to destroy tissue by drying it; the active electrode makes direct contact with the skin lesion (desiccate = to dry up) |
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fulguration | to lighten; use of long, high-frequency, electric sparks to destroy tissue; the active electrode does not touch the skin |
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incision and drainage (I&D) | incision and drainage of an infected skin lesion (e.g., an abscess) |
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laser | an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation; an instrument that concentrates high frequencies of light into a small, extremely intense beam that is precise in depth and diameter; applied to body tissues to destroy lesions or for |
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laser surgery | surgery using a laser in various dermatologic procedures to remove lesions, scars, tattoos, etc. |
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Mohs surgery | a technique used to excise tumors of the skin by removing fresh tissue, layer by layer, until a tumor-free plane is reached |
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skin grafting | transfer of skin from one body site to another to replace skin that has been lost through a burn or injury |
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autograft | graft transfer to a new position in the body of the same person (auto = self) |
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heterograft or xenograft | graft transfer between different species, such as from animal to human (hetero = different; xeno = strange) |
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homograft or allograft | donor transfer between persons of the same species, such as human to human (homo = same) |