How to Pronounce Bowel Resection

Pronounce it as BOW-el ree-SEK-shun. The first part rhymes with 'cow,' the second part sounds like the word 'reel,' and the last part sounds like 'shun.' The stress (or emphasis) falls on the first syllable of the first word and the second syllable of the second word: BOW-el and ree-SEK-shun.

There are two stressed syllables in this phrase: BOW (in 'bowel') and SEK (in 'resection'). A common mistake is putting stress on the wrong syllable, like saying bow-EL or re-SEK-shun instead of BOW-el ree-SEK-shun.

'Bowel' has 2 syllables: BOW-el. 'Resection' has 3 syllables: re-SEK-shun. Together the full term has 5 syllables: BOW-el ree-SEK-shun.

'Resection' comes from Latin and simply means 'to cut out' or 'to remove.' In medical language, anytime you see 'resection,' it refers to surgical removal of a body part or tissue. For example, 'lung resection' means removing part of the lung.

'Bowel resection' means surgical removal of a section of the intestines. The healthy parts of the intestine are then sewn back together. Think of it like removing a damaged section of a garden hose and reconnecting the good ends.

Yes! You might hear terms like 'liver resection' (removing part of the liver), 'colon resection' (removing part of the large intestine), or 'tumor resection' (removing a tumor). The word 'resection' always refers to surgical removal, no matter what body part follows it.

'Bowel resection' is the medical term and specifically means removing only a damaged or diseased section while reconnecting the healthy parts. 'Bowel removal' is less precise and could sound like the entire bowel is being removed, which isn't the case.

Doctors sometimes use the abbreviation BR in medical notes, but the full term 'bowel resection' is what you'll hear most often in conversations. You might also hear it called 'intestinal resection' when referring to either the small or large intestine.