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.

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open-heart surgery British  

noun

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

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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.

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Etymology

Origin of open-heart surgery

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Medical records reviewed by The Times show he has a cardiac condition that required open-heart surgery, a procedure Gaza’s shattered healthcare system could no longer provide.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

After 10 days in intensive care, doctors allowed Chester to go home so he could put on weight and gain strength ahead of open-heart surgery.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

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 • Dec. 30, 2025

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 • Aug. 27, 2025

Grandpa was still pale and thin from his recent open-heart surgery.

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben