Apicoectomy
Pronunciation: ay-pih-koh-EK-tuh-mee
A surgical endodontic procedure involving resection of the root apex and removal of associated periapical pathological tissue.
Full Definition
An apicoectomy (also called periradicular surgery, root-end resection, or apicectomy in British English) is an endodontic microsurgical procedure in which the apical portion of the root is surgically removed, the periapical lesion is curetted, and a root-end filling is placed to seal the canal terminus. It is indicated when non-surgical retreatment is not feasible or has failed. Editors should be aware that 'apicoectomy' and 'apicectomy' are variant spellings denoting the same procedure; 'apicoectomy' is the preferred American English form and 'apicectomy' is more common in British English. Neither form should be hyphenated.
Usage
Usage note: In UK-targeted documents, 'apicectomy' may be preferred. Flag the variant for the commissioning editor if house style does not specify.
In Context
- "Following failed non-surgical retreatment, an apicoectomy with MTA root-end filling was performed on the maxillary right central incisor." — Surgical operative note
- "The patient was counselled regarding the risks and benefits of apicoectomy as an alternative to extraction." — Informed consent document