Cholelithotripsy means which of the following?

• A. Surgical removal of the gallbladder
• B. X-ray of the gallbladder
• C. Inflammation of the gallbladder
• D. Crushing of gallstones

Answer: (D)

Cholelithotripsy is about breaking up gallstones. The parts show why: chole- means gall or bile, litho- means stone, and -tripsy means crushing. Put together, they describe the process of crushing gallstones so they can pass or be removed without removing the gallbladder. This differs from surgical removal of the gallbladder (cholecystectomy), imaging of the gallbladder, or inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis), which are built from different root terms.