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Definition of "debridement" [de•bride•ment]

  • Surgical excision of dead, devitalized, or contaminated tissue and removal of foreign matter from a wound. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "debridement" in a sentence
  • "To allow such wounds to heal, doctors remove infected or dead tissue with scalpels or enzymes, a process they call debridement."
  • "Webb underwent a surgery known as a debridement, which cleaned up his rotator cuff and labrum."
  • "The theory has been that maggots are effective because they "clean out" dead tissue - a process called debridement - stimulating healing and getting rid of bugs such as MRSA in the process."