Facetectomy is removal of a facet through surgery, particularly the facet of a vertebra, which is one of many bones that form an opening that the spinal cord passes through. In this sense, facet means a small and smooth natural growth from a bone or other firm structure that forms a joint.

Facetectomy comes from the French word "facette" meaning "little face," and the Greek word "ektome" meaning "excision." Put the two words together and you have "little face excision."

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