General
peek and shriek
What does peek and shriek mean?
Slang for a laparotomy in which the surgeon opens the abdomen, discovers incurable disease, and closes without proceeding.
"Sadly it was a peek-and-shriek — tumour everywhere."
Origin
US surgical slang.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'peek and shriek' mean?
Surgical slang for opening the abdomen, finding incurable disease such as widespread tumour, and closing back up without proceeding.
Why do surgeons close without operating?
When disease is too advanced to remove or fix, going further would only harm the patient, so they close and switch to a different plan.
Where does the phrase come from?
US surgical slang, capturing the grim moment of looking in and finding the worst.
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