tumesc

Tumesc is a combining form used in medical terminology, derived from the Latin verb tumescere, meaning to swell. In modern usage it denotes swelling or the process of becoming swollen and appears in terms such as tumescence (the state of being swollen) and tumescent (swollen or engorged). The root is related to other Latin roots for swelling, such as tumor, though it functions primarily as a descriptive element within compound terms rather than a standalone concept.

Usage and contexts: The term appears across disciplines such as dermatology, urology, and cosmetic medicine. It is commonly used to describe physiological states, for example penile tumescence (erection) in sexual medicine, or tumescence of tissue in surgery and anesthesia planning. The word emphasizes the physical swelling of tissue rather than inflammation.

Notable application: The tumescent technique in liposuction involves infiltrating large volumes of dilute anesthetic solution into subcutaneous fat to induce tumescence. This swelling facilitates fat removal, provides local anesthesia, and reduces intraoperative bleeding and systemic drug exposure when performed with appropriate concentrations of lidocaine and epinephrine.

See also: detumescence, the process of subsiding swelling; tumescence is the state of being swollen.