How to Pronounce Anastomosis

Say it like this: ah-nas-toh-MOH-sis. The stress falls on the third syllable from the end (MOH), which is where your voice gets a little louder and stronger. If you break it into chunks, it sounds like: ah / nas / toh / MOH / sis.

Many people accidentally stress the first or second syllable, saying "AH-nas-TOH-moh-sis" instead of the correct "ah-nas-toh-MOH-sis." The key is remembering that the emphasis belongs on MOH, near the end of the word.

Anastomosis has five syllables: a-nas-to-mo-sis. If you say each part slowly and separately, it's easier to see where the stressed syllable MOH sits—right in the middle-to-end of the word.

It comes from ancient Greek roots: "ana-" meaning "up" or "back," "stom-" meaning "mouth" or "opening," and the suffix "-osis" meaning "condition" or "process." So the word originally referred to creating an opening or connection.

In simple terms, it means a surgical connection or joining of two hollow tubes inside the body, like parts of the intestines or blood vessels. Think of it as tying or connecting two pieces together after one piece has been removed.

Several words use the same "stom" root meaning "mouth" or "opening." Examples include stoma (a surgical opening), stomach (the digestive organ), and stomatitis (inflammation of the mouth). Recognizing this shared root can help you remember and understand related terms.

Here's an example: "After the surgeon removed the damaged section of the small intestine, she created an anastomosis by carefully joining the two remaining ends together." This shows the word describing the actual surgical connection that was made.

The word is sometimes abbreviated as "anastom" or referred to as simply "an anastomosis" in medical writing, but there is no single standard short form like some other medical terms have. Most healthcare professionals just use the full word anastomosis.