Surgical cutting out of diseased tissue, such as a breast lump, from surrounding healthy tissue.
A term applied to the removal of any structure from the body, when such removal necessitates a certain amount of separation from surrounding parts: for example, the excision of a tumour, of a gland or of a joint. When an opening is simply made into the body, the term incision is used; when a limb, or part of one, is removed, the term AMPUTATION is employed.