'aorticotomy' originates from Greek via New Latin: 'aorta' (from Greek 'aortē') + Greek suffix '-otomy' from 'tomē' meaning 'a cutting'.

'aorticotomy' was formed in modern medical/Latin usage by combining the element 'aort-' (from Greek 'aortē') with the surgical suffix '-otomy' (from Greek 'tomē'), producing the term used in modern English medical contexts.

Initially, the components literally meant 'cutting the aorta'; over time the term has retained this specific surgical meaning without significant semantic shift.