What term denotes incision into the common bile duct to remove a stone?

• A. Choledocholithotomy
• B. Electrocardiogram
• C. Gingivectomy
• D. Embolism

Answer: (A)

Understanding how medical terms are built helps you recognize procedures from their parts. The piece here uses choledocho- for the common bile duct, lith for stone, and -otomy for an incision. When you combine them, choledocholithotomy literally means an incision into the common bile duct to remove a stone.

This differs from the other terms: electrocardiogram is a test that records the heart’s electrical activity; gingivectomy is the removal of gum tissue; embolism refers to a blockage caused by a traveling material such as a clot.