Final answer:
The suffix indicating the surgical creation of a new opening is -stomy, used in terms such as colostomy or tracheostomy, distinct from suffixes such as -opsy (biopsy) or -otomy (episiotomy).
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the student's question, which asks for the surgical procedure suffix that denotes the surgical creation of a new opening, is -stomy. The suffix -stomy is used in medical terminology to refer to the creation of an artificial opening in an organ of the body for the purpose of providing an alternate route for the flow of body fluids. This suffix is found in words like colostomy (creating an opening in the colon) and tracheostomy (creating an opening in the trachea).
To provide relevant context, a biopsy is the surgical removal of a tissue specimen which typically utilizes the suffix -opsy, while an episiotomy involves an incision in the vaginal area, using the suffix -otomy, to aid in childbirth. These suffixes are crucial in the field of medicine for describing various surgical procedures.