preoperative
Prior to operation
Preoperative describes the period or procedures that occur before a surgical operation.
A preoperative exam assesses whether a patient is healthy enough for surgery, while preoperative instructions might tell you not to eat or drink after midnight.
Medical staff use the shortened form preop in casual speech: The preop went smoothly.
Determining worth or quality
- screeningEvaluative selection process
- clearancePermitted passage or approval
- consultationMeeting seeking expert guidance
- historyRecord of past events
physical · examination · baseline · risk · diagnosis · laboratory · imaging · tests
Deliberate food avoidance
- NPOMedical fasting directive
- antisepticMicrobe-killing substance
- showerWater spray for bathing
- shavingRemoving hair with blade
marking · IV · intravenous · hydration · sedation · anxiolytic · premedication · compression stockings
Venue for live drama
- sterileFree from microorganisms
- gownLong formal garment
- scrubsMedical staff uniform
- glovesHand coverings with fingers
drapes · sterilization · incision · anesthesia · intubation · consent · procedure · elective
Physician who operates
- anesthesiologistDoctor administering surgical sedation
- anesthetistOne who numbs patients
- nurseHealthcare provider, bedside
- physicianLicensed medical doctor
specialist · internist · cardiologist · patient · care team · coordinator
evaluation
Determining worth or quality
- screeningEvaluative selection process
- clearancePermitted passage or approval
- consultationMeeting seeking expert guidance
history · physical · examination · baseline · risk · diagnosis · laboratory · imaging · tests · bloodwork
fasting
Deliberate food avoidance
- NPOMedical fasting directive
- antisepticMicrobe-killing substance
- showerWater spray for bathing
shaving · marking · IV · intravenous · hydration · sedation · anxiolytic · premedication · compression stockings · instructions
theater
Venue for live drama
gloves · drapes · sterilization · incision · anesthesia · intubation · consent · procedure · elective · emergency
surgeon
Physician who operates
- anesthesiologistDoctor administering surgical sedation
- anesthetistOne who numbs patients
- nurseHealthcare provider, bedside
physician · specialist · internist · cardiologist · patient · care team · coordinator
- surgerysurgery, surgeon, surgeons, incision, scalpel
- medical adjectivessurgical, cardiac, orthopedic, malignant, respiratory
- surgical caresurgical nurse, sterile field, scrubbing in, OR, preop
- test modifiersdiagnostic, preliminary, confirmatory, routine, stat
- faceliftfacelift, brow lift, neck lift, eye lift, skin tightening
- medical stagesacute phase, recovery phase, late stage, early-stage, advanced stage
preoperativepostoperative
After an operation
post-op · postsurgical · postprocedural · post-surgical · intraoperative