preoperative

adjective

pre·​op·​er·​a·​tive (ˌ)prē-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv How to pronounce preoperative (audio)
-pə-ˌrā-
1
: occurring before a surgical operation
preoperative care
2
: having not yet undergone a surgical operation
preoperatively adverb

Examples of preoperative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
As part of the VAD process, healthcare providers encourage caregivers to participate in preoperative and postoperative education. Christopher Lee, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2024 Real-Time Guidance Machine learning algorithms analyze vast amounts of preoperative and intraoperative data to assist in surgical planning and execution. Joseph Nathan, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024 It was discovered during preoperative testing for a planned procedure. Taayoo Murray, Essence, 11 May 2024 People who had acupuncture before gallbladder surgery or hernia repair had less preoperative anxiety than those who took the anti-anxiety medication Midazolam, a type of benzodiazepine.5 In general, acupuncture has other benefits. Stephanie Booth, Health, 1 Dec. 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 The 57,000-square-foot clinic at the CARTI campus in west Little Rock comes with eight private rooms, 12 recovery rooms, 14 preoperative and postoperative rooms, according to a news release, as well as six large operating rooms equipped with minimally invasive surgical robots. Jason Batacao, Arkansas Online, 9 June 2023 The researchers also showed that preoperative chemotherapy delivered directly into an artery could convert an inoperable tumor into an operable one. David J. Waters, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2015 Early efforts subjected patients to full-body preoperative blasts of X-ray radiation at borderline-lethal doses. WIRED, 5 Jan. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of preoperative was in 1886

Dictionary Entries Near preoperative

Cite this Entry

“Preoperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preoperative. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

preoperative

adjective
pre·​op·​er·​a·​tive (ˈ)prē-ˈäp-(ə-)rət-iv, -ˈäp-ə-ˌrāt- How to pronounce preoperative (audio)
1
: occurring, performed, or administered before and usually close to a surgical operation
preoperative care
preoperative medication
2
: having not yet undergone a surgical operation
preoperative patients
preoperatively adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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