What medical term refers to the removal of a limb or an appendage?

The medical term that refers to the removal of a limb or an appendage is amputation. Amputation specifically describes a surgical procedure where a part of the body, usually an arm or a leg, is surgically removed. This procedure is typically performed due to severe injury, infection, or disease affecting the limb.

Resection refers to the removal of a specific section of an organ or a tissue rather than an entire limb or appendage. Detachment is not commonly used in medical terminology to describe surgical procedures and implies simply separating something without the connotation that it is a definitive surgical procedure. Dislocation refers to a joint injury where the bones meet are forced out of their normal position, not related to the removal of limbs or appendages. Thus, amputation is the precise term used in medical contexts for such a procedure.