open-heart surgery

[ oh-puhn-hahrt ]

noun

1. surgery performed on the exposed heart while a heart-lung machine pumps and oxygenates the blood and diverts it from the heart.

open-heart surgery

noun

1. surgical repair of the heart during which the blood circulation is often maintained mechanically

open-heart surgery

1. Surgery in which the thoracic cavity is opened to expose the heart and the blood is recirculated and oxygenated by a heart-lung machine.

Word History and Origins

Origin of open-heart surgery¹

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Well into the 1980s, doctors would perform open-heart surgery on infants without giving them pain-relieving drugs.

From Nautilus

It’s a couple of days after his open-heart surgery and he still sounds woozy, like he’s slightly drunk.

From Time

In December, Lundqvist announced that a heart condition would prevent him from joining the team this season and later shared that he was scheduled to undergo open-heart surgery.

From Washington Post

“We can do anything here from open heart surgery to limb amputations,” he says.

From The Daily Beast

Adapting your own book is like performing open-heart surgery on your own child.

From The Daily Beast

As the Daily Beast reported exclusively on Tuesday, Mortenson underwent open heart surgery last week.

From The Daily Beast

Setting a broken leg, having your appendix removed, even open-heart surgery—they are not difficult for the public to grasp.

From Project Gutenberg