open-heart
adjective
: of, relating to, or performed on a heart temporarily stopped and relieved of circulatory function and surgically opened for repair of defects or damage
open-heart surgery
Examples of open-heart in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In just this past year, Dalton has undergone three open-heart surgeries — bringing his total to six — along with 50 days in the hospital, 30 of them in the ICU.
—
Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
The family of Stephen Nolte, a Navy veteran who died at 71 after contracting a bacterial infection following open-heart surgery at The University of Kansas Hospital, testified in Wyandotte County District Court about his life and agonizing decline.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
She was born with a congenial heart defect that required her to have open-heart surgery in the first week of her life.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
Cantrell had both options explained to him by his care team, who recommended the open-heart option.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for open-heart
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026
The family of Stephen Nolte, a Navy veteran who died at 71 after contracting a bacterial infection following open-heart surgery at The University of Kansas Hospital, testified in Wyandotte County District Court about his life and agonizing decline.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
She was born with a congenial heart defect that required her to have open-heart surgery in the first week of her life.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
Cantrell had both options explained to him by his care team, who recommended the open-heart option.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for open-heart
Cite this Entry
“Open-heart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open-heart. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
