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open-heart surgery

American  
[oh-puhn-hahrt] / ˈoʊ pənˈhɑrt /

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 British  

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

open-heart surgery Scientific  
  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.


Etymology

Origin of open-heart surgery

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sir Nick Faldo is returning home after having "successful" open-heart surgery, the six-time major winner's team has said on social media.

From BBC

He also behaved this way after my mother’s open-heart surgery, when we attempted to prepare her home for her return from the hospital, even though he had initially agreed with the plan.

From MarketWatch

I’m also going to have to have open-heart surgery for a valve replacement.

From MarketWatch

That diagnosis came just six years after Williams underwent open-heart surgery in 2009 to treat ischemic heart disease, which has also been linked to Agent Orange.

From Salon

She was initially diagnosed with arthritis, but after a series of tests, doctors detected something much more serious: a rare congenital heart disease that required open-heart surgery.

From Los Angeles Times