postoperatively means in a postoperative context; after surgery.
Why “postoperatively” is a great word
Relating to the period immediately following a surgical procedure. From the English prefix post- ("after") + operative ("relating to surgery") + the adverbial suffix -ly. Unlike the informal shorthand "postop" or the contemporaneous focus of "intraoperatively," which names the event of the surgery itself, postoperatively is the quiet, formal vigil of what comes next. It is the cold clarity of the recovery room lights, the insistent beeping of the vital-signs monitor, and the slow, deliberate expansion of a chest taking its first unaided breaths—the lived experience of time measured not by the cut, but by the slow, fragile work of mending, as the body learns itself again, stitched and altered.
Etymology
From post- + operative + -ly.
adv
- In a postoperative context; after surgery.e.g.“General anesthesia may decrease the functional residual capacity (FRC) for up to 1 to 2 weeks postoperatively.”
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