postoperative
adjective
post·op·er·a·tive
ˌpōst-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv 
-pə-ˌrā-
1
: following a surgical operation
postoperative care
2
: having recently undergone a surgical operation
a postoperative patient
postoperatively
adverb
Examples of postoperative in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Researchers also found that while in general patients had better outcomes with female surgeons, female patients fared far worse than expected and had higher rates of adverse postoperative events within a year when treated by male surgeons.
—
Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 30 Aug. 2023
Your healthcare provider will guide you on the appropriate timeframe based on your specific needs and postoperative progress.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 5 Aug. 2023
Referrals to other specialists, consultations and postoperative follow-ups help ensure that patients follow a path toward long-term recovery and avoid serious postoperative complications.
—Shiza Abbasi, STAT, 27 Aug. 2022
By casting a spotlight on dietary balance, the team empowers patients to diminish surgical risks and bolster postoperative results.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 20 June 2023
This confluence of expertise forms a cohesive network that provides unwavering support from the preoperative stage through to postoperative care.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 20 June 2023
And while hospital stays are growing shorter, they are still extended in some cases by the lack of nursing home beds available for patients who are in postoperative recovery or need long-term care — a problem exacerbated by staffing shortages at long-term care facilities.
—Karen Brooks Harper, San Antonio Express-News, 6 Feb. 2022
Additional research published this week compared postoperative care instructions for eight common pediatric procedures that were provided by ChatGPT, Google and Stanford University.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 28 Apr. 2023
Even a normal recovery involves bruising, bleeding and painful swelling, which has led to a homegrown system of postoperative recovery houses arising along the border.
—Jacey Fortin, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2023
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Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 30 Aug. 2023
Your healthcare provider will guide you on the appropriate timeframe based on your specific needs and postoperative progress.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 5 Aug. 2023
Referrals to other specialists, consultations and postoperative follow-ups help ensure that patients follow a path toward long-term recovery and avoid serious postoperative complications.
—Shiza Abbasi, STAT, 27 Aug. 2022
By casting a spotlight on dietary balance, the team empowers patients to diminish surgical risks and bolster postoperative results.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 20 June 2023
This confluence of expertise forms a cohesive network that provides unwavering support from the preoperative stage through to postoperative care.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 20 June 2023
And while hospital stays are growing shorter, they are still extended in some cases by the lack of nursing home beds available for patients who are in postoperative recovery or need long-term care — a problem exacerbated by staffing shortages at long-term care facilities.
—Karen Brooks Harper, San Antonio Express-News, 6 Feb. 2022
Additional research published this week compared postoperative care instructions for eight common pediatric procedures that were provided by ChatGPT, Google and Stanford University.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 28 Apr. 2023
Even a normal recovery involves bruising, bleeding and painful swelling, which has led to a homegrown system of postoperative recovery houses arising along the border.
—Jacey Fortin, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'postoperative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
International Scientific Vocabulary
First Known Use
1872, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near postoperative
Cite this Entry
“Postoperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/postoperative. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
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Medical Definition
postoperative
adjective
post·op·er·a·tive
ˈpōst-ˈäp-(ə-)rət-iv
1
: relating to, occurring in, or being the period following a surgical operation
postoperative care
2
: having recently undergone a surgical operation
a postoperative patient
postoperatively
adverb
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