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
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According to the deposition, Shaknovsky instructed a nurse to label the liver as a spleen after it was removed and identified it as a spleen in his postoperative notes.
—
Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
More than 4 million people die within a month of surgery every year, making postoperative mortality a leading cause of death globally.
—Nandan Lad, Time, 27 Apr. 2026
Their patients are more likely to receive postoperative placement in preferred beds rather than being held in recovery areas.
—Eugene Litvak, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
CT scans can measure muscle loss – a condition called sarcopenia – and patients with low muscle mass consistently face higher rates of postoperative complications and death compared with those with normal muscle mass.
—Peter Gunderman, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for postoperative
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Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
More than 4 million people die within a month of surgery every year, making postoperative mortality a leading cause of death globally.
—Nandan Lad, Time, 27 Apr. 2026
Their patients are more likely to receive postoperative placement in preferred beds rather than being held in recovery areas.
—Eugene Litvak, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
CT scans can measure muscle loss – a condition called sarcopenia – and patients with low muscle mass consistently face higher rates of postoperative complications and death compared with those with normal muscle mass.
—Peter Gunderman, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for postoperative
Cite this Entry
“Postoperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/postoperative. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical 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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