LLETZ Large loop excision of the transformation zone, a procedure for treating high grade cervical dysplasia discovered on colposcopic examination. The surgeon uses a wire loop through which an electrical current is passed to remove the precancerous areas of the cervix. The procedure can be done in the physician’s office and requires only a local…
living will An advance medical directive that specifies what types of medical treatment are desired. A living will can be very specific or very general. The most common statement in a living will requests that if the patient suffers an incurable, irreversible illness, disease, or condition, and the attending physician determines that the condition is…
livid Black-and-blue, as from bruising.
liver transplantation Surgery to remove a diseased liver and replace it with a healthy liver (or part of one) from a donor. The most common reason for liver transplantation in children is biliary atresia (a disease in which the ducts that carry bile out of the liver are missing or damaged). The most common reason…
liver biopsy A procedure in which a small sample of the liver is removed for the diagnosis of abnormal liver conditions. The most common method for obtaining a liver biopsy is percutaneous (“through the skin”). A percutaneous biopsy involves insertion of a biopsy needle through the skin and chest wall over the lower right side…
liver The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on the right side. The liver has a multitude of important and complex functions, including to manufacture proteins, including albumin (to help maintain the volume of blood) and blood clotting factors; to synthesize, store, and process fats, including fatty…
livedo reticularis A mottled purplish discoloration of the skin. Livedo reticularis can be a normal condition that is simply more obvious when a person is exposed to the cold. It can also be an indicator of impaired circulation. Livedo reticularis has been reported in association with autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus; abnormal antibodies…
lithotriptor A machine that is used to shatter kidney stones and gallstones by physical or other means, such as with shock waves.
lithotripsy, percutaneous nephro- A technique for removing large and/or dense kidney stones and staghorn stones. Abbreviated PNL. In PNL, there is no incision; rather, an access port is created by puncturing the kidney through the skin, and the port is then enlarged to allow insertion of instruments to break up and remove stones. The procedure…
lithotripsy, extracorporeal shock wave A technique for shattering a kidney stone or gallstone with a shock wave that is produced outside the body. Anesthesia may be necessary to control the pain, depending on the size and density of the stone and on the energy of the shock wave needed to break it up. The urologist…
lithotripsy A procedure that uses shock waves to break a stone in the kidney, urinary tract, or gallbladder. See lithotripsy, extracorporeal shock wave; lithotripsy, percutaneous nephro-.
lithotomy Surgical removal of a stone.