been operated upon

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "been operated upon" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in a medical context to indicate that a patient has undergone surgery or a medical procedure. Example: "After the accident, he had been operated upon to repair the damage to his leg."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

"Some people walked out of the hospital with bandages that had barely stopped the flow of blood, only three hours after they had been operated upon," he said.

The New York Times

The world of golf has moved on since he was in his prime, a new generation of stars have emerged, and with an increasingly burdensome left leg – it has been operated upon on four different occasions – there must now be some serious doubts about Woods's ability to restore anything approaching his former dominance.

The Guardian - Sport

However, some of the previous studies have included patients with only isolated bladder endometriosis or cases where only ureteral endometriosis has been operated upon [6, 38].

Gynecological Surgery

The data concerning the sight of patients who had been operated upon for cataracts, and of young animals and infants, were used as evidence in the debate concerning the question of whether the perception of space is innate or acquired.

SEP

Others, Thomas Brown for instance, were of the opinion that the visual behaviour of babies could be compared with that of a blind person who had been operated upon and made to see.

SEP

Since patients that have recently been operated upon are often dehydrated, with limited urine output, the European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) guidelines recommend special care in ensuring adequate hydration before and after CT, in order to improve urinary tract opacification and to prevent CM nephrotoxicity [45, 46].

Insights into Imaging

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

In the beginning of this text, we distinguished between functions and data: functions performed operations and data were operated upon.

University of California, Berkeley

Sixty-nine were operated upon by some form of open operation.

Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research

Last year 513 patients were operated upon free of charge and 320 operations were performed on private patients.

BMC International Health and Human Rights

Patients are referred here from all regions of the country and from different ethnic backgrounds and they are operated upon in the same hospital, so all the operation and pathology reports were available simultaneously.

BMC Gastroenterology

If therefore only such kinds of growths were operated upon, the prognosis was of course promising and the operation was considered as a successful one against "cancer".

Annals of Surgical Oncology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about medical procedures, use precise language. Specify the type of operation or the area of the body "been operated upon" for clarity.

Common error

While "been operated upon" is grammatically correct, overuse of the passive voice can make writing sound indirect. Consider using the active voice (e.g., "surgeons operated on the patient") when appropriate for a more direct and engaging style.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "been operated upon" functions as a passive construction indicating that a subject has undergone a surgical procedure. It describes a state resulting from a past action. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

53%

News & Media

27%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "been operated upon" is a grammatically sound passive construction primarily used in medical, scientific, and news contexts to describe that someone has undergone a surgical procedure. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. While acceptable, overuse of the passive voice should be avoided in favor of active constructions when clarity and directness are desired. Related phrases like "had surgery" or "underwent an operation" may be more suitable in informal contexts. Its primary function is to inform and explain, with a register ranging from neutral to formal, depending on the source.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

underwent surgery

This alternative is a more direct and common way to describe having a surgical procedure.

had an operation

This alternative uses simpler vocabulary to convey the same meaning.

received surgical treatment

This alternative is a more formal and clinical way to describe the procedure.

was surgically treated

This alternative emphasizes the treatment aspect of the operation.

had a procedure performed

This alternative broadens the scope to include non-surgical procedures.

was subjected to surgery

This alternative highlights the patient's experience of undergoing the procedure.

had corrective surgery

This alternative specifies that the surgery was intended to correct a problem.

underwent a surgical intervention

This alternative is a more technical and formal way to describe the procedure.

was under the knife

This alternative is an informal and metaphorical way to describe undergoing surgery.

required an operation

This alternative focuses on the necessity of the surgical procedure.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "been operated upon" in simpler terms?

You can use phrases like "had surgery" or "underwent an operation" as simpler alternatives.

Is it better to use active or passive voice when describing surgery?

While "been operated upon" is correct in passive voice, using active voice such as "the surgeon "performed the surgery"" can make your writing more direct.

What is the difference between "been operated on" and "been operated upon"?

The phrases are largely interchangeable. "Been operated on" is more common in informal contexts, while "been operated upon" is considered slightly more formal.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "been operated upon"?

Use "been operated upon" when you want to emphasize the patient's experience of undergoing surgery, particularly in medical or formal contexts.