How to Pronounce Nissen Fundoplication
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Nissen Fundoplication Pronunciation
NIS-en fun-doh-plik-AY-shun
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
NIS
stress here
en fun
doh
plik
AY
stress here
shun
6 syllables
What is Nissen Fundoplication?
A surgical procedure to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in which the upper part of the stomach is wrapped around the lower end of the esophagus to strengthen the valve between them, preventing stomach acid from flowing back up. It is often performed laparoscopically.
Questions About Nissen Fundoplication
How do you pronounce 'Nissen fundoplication'?
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Say it like this: NIS-en fun-doh-plik-AY-shun. The stress falls on the first syllable of the first word (NIS) and the last syllable of the second word (AY). A quick way to remember is to emphasize NIS at the start and then AY at the end.
Why do people mispronounce this word?
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The most common mistake is stressing the wrong syllables—people often say nis-EN (wrong) instead of NIS-en, or they rush through fundoplication and blur the syllables together. Breaking it into two separate words and pronouncing each carefully helps avoid this.
Can you break 'Nissen fundoplication' into syllables?
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Sure! Nissen breaks into NIS-en (two syllables), and fundoplication breaks into fun-doh-plik-AY-shun (five syllables). So the full term is seven syllables total: NIS-en / fun-doh-plik-AY-shun.
What do the word parts of 'fundoplication' mean?
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Fundo- comes from the Latin word for 'bottom' or 'base' (referring to the bottom of the stomach), and -plication comes from the Latin word meaning 'to fold.' So fundoplication literally means 'folding the bottom of the stomach.'
Who is the procedure named after, and how do you say the name?
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The procedure is named after Rudolf Nissen, a surgeon. Nissen is pronounced NIS-en, which is also the first part of the full procedure name. It's one of the few procedures where the surgeon's name is still used every time we talk about it.
What is a simpler way to think about what this word means?
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Think of it as 'wrapping the stomach around the tube.' The word fundoplication describes the folding or wrapping action that strengthens a valve, and Nissen is just the surgeon's name attached to it.
Is there a shorter way to say or write 'Nissen fundoplication'?
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Yes, doctors sometimes just say 'fundoplication' or 'Nissen procedure' for short. You might also see it abbreviated as 'NF' in written medical notes, but in conversation, people usually say the full name or at least 'fundoplication.'
Are there other medical words that share the '-plication' ending?
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Yes! Words like plication (folding tissue), duplication (doubling), and replication (copying) all share this Latin root. In medical terms, -plication almost always has to do with folding or layering something.