puncture - the act of puncturing or perforating

abdominocentesis, paracentesis - centesis of the belly to remove fluid for diagnosis

amnio, amniocentesis - (pregnancy) extraction by centesis of amniotic fluid from a pregnant woman (after the 15th week of pregnancy) to aid in the diagnosis of fetal abnormalities

arthrocentesis - removal of fluid from a joint by centesis

celiocentesis - removal of fluid from the abdomen by centesis

lumbar puncture, spinal puncture, spinal tap - removal by centesis of fluid from the subarachnoid space of the lumbar region of the spinal cord for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes

thoracocentesis - removal of fluid from the chest by centesis for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes

surgery - the branch of medical science that treats disease or injury by operative procedures; "he is professor of surgery at the Harvard Medical School"