thoracoplasty: Meaning and Definition of

tho•ra•co•plas•ty

Pronunciation: (thôr'u-kō-plas"tē, thōr'-), [key]
— pl. -ties.
  1. the operation removing selected portions of the ribs to collapse part of the underlying lung or an abnormal pleural space, usually in the treatment of tuberculosis.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.