The Evidence Room: “Total” Is Not What You Think

Medical words are supposed to bring clarity. Too often they do the opposite.

Why Words Count, Yet Often Confuse

Medical words are supposed to bring clarity. Too often they do the opposite. In gynecology, the same term can mean different things to different people. Some words are historical leftovers, some are billing shortcuts, and some are surgical slang that slipped into everyday use.

Patients hear “total,” “complete,” or “radic…