Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Excision
Introduction
Excision means “to remove as if by cutting”.
- In surgery, an excision (or resection) is the complete removal of an organ or a tumor, as opposed to a biopsy. An “excisional biopsy” (sometimes called a “tumorectomy”) is the removal of a tumor with a minimum of healthy tissue. It is therefore an excision rather than a biopsy.
- It is the French term for female genital cutting and can be used as an euphemism.