Definitions for percutaneousˌpɜr kyuˈteɪ ni əs
This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word percutaneous
Random House Webster's College Dictionary
per•cu•ta•ne•ousˌpɜr kyuˈteɪ ni əs(adj.)
administered, removed, or absorbed by way of the skin, as an injection or needle biopsy.
Category: Medicine, Pharmacology
Origin of percutaneous:
transdermal, transdermic, percutaneous, transcutaneous(adj)
through the unbroken skin; refers to medications applied directly to the skin (creams or ointments) or in time-release forms (skin patches)
"transdermal estrogen"; "percutaneous absorption"
Taking place through the skin
In surgery, percutaneous pertains to any medical procedure where access to inner organs or other tissue is done via needle-puncture of the skin, rather than by using an "open" approach where inner organs or tissue are exposed. The percutaneous approach is commonly used in vascular procedures. This involves a needle catheter getting access to a blood vessel, followed by the introduction of a wire through the lumen of the needle. It is over this wire that other catheters can be placed into the blood vessel. This technique is known as the modified Seldinger technique. More generally, "percutaneous", via its Latin roots means, 'by way of the skin'. An example would be percutaneous drug absorption from topical medications. More often, percutaneous is typically used in reference to placement of medical devices using a needle stick approach. In general, percutaneous refers to the access modality of a medical procedure, whereby a medical device is introduced into a patient's blood vessel via a needle stick. This is commonly known as the Seldinger technique named after Dr. Sven Ivar Seldinger. The technique involves placing a needle through the skin and into a blood vessel, such as an artery or vein, until bleedback is achieved. This is followed by introduction of a flexible "introducer guide wire" to define the pathway through the skin and into the passageway or "lumen" of the blood vessel. The needle is then exchanged for an "introducer sheath" which is a small tube that is advanced over the introducer guide wire and into the blood vessel. The introducer guide wire is removed, and exchanged for a catheter or other medical device to be used to deliver medication or implantation of a medical implant such as a filter or a stent into the blood vessel.
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"percutaneous." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2014. Web. 30 Aug. 2014. <http://www.definitions.net/definition/percutaneous>.