Which suffix means surgical suturing?

• A. rrhexis
• B. oscopy
• C. rrhaphy
• D. stenosis

Answer: (C)

Surgical suturing is indicated by the suffix -rrhaphy. It comes from a Greek root meaning to stitch or sew, and in medical terms it denotes a procedure that involves suturing tissue to repair it. For example, herniorrhaphy means suturing a hernia repair, neurorrhaphy refers to suturing a nerve, and myorrhaphy to suturing muscle. This suffix specifically points to stitching the tissue together, rather than cutting, viewing, or narrowing. The other suffixes have different meanings: -rrhexis means rupture, -oscopy means viewing with an instrument, and -stenosis means narrowing.