he was operated for

USAGE SUMMARY

“He was operated for” is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate that someone had an operation done for a particular illness or condition. For example: “He was operated for an enlarged appendix.”.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

The patient was transferred to a surgical unit where he was operated for a perforated ventricular ulcer.

Critical Ultrasound Journal

Patient no. 3 received irradiation after he was operated for a parapharyngeal tumour with a modified radical neck dissection at his right site because of a malignant peripheral nerve sheet tumour.

British Journal of Cancer

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

His three male victims had been killed when he was operating for hire, he added.

BBC

Mr. Saleh, who has been resisting calls to step down for months, left the country hurriedly on Saturday for Saudi Arabia, where he was operated on for wounds suffered in a deadly attack on his presidential compound the day before.

The New York Times

He was operated on, for a deep-seated infection of the leg, without anesthesia.

The New Yorker

In 1996 he was operated upon for cancer of the palate and in 1998 the disease returned to his throat.

The Guardian - Sport

In June, he had told family members when he left the Duke University Medical Center, where he was operated on for brain cancer, that he was intent on giving the speech.

The New York Times

Spehr credited the weight-lifting he has been doing since the winter of 1995, after he was operated on for a testicular tumor.

The New York Times - Sports

When he was operated on for cancer, his friend, the novelist Evelyn Waugh, remarked: "How clever of the doctors; they have operated on Randolph and removed the only part of him that was not malignant".

The Guardian

The last novel Mr. Delibes wrote before he was operated on for colon cancer in 1998 — "El Hereje" ("The Heretic") — is "the one he wanted to be remembered by," Ms. Silió said.

The New York Times - Arts

It took three men to get him down off the horse; the next day he was airlifted to hospital in Paris where he was operated on for a double hernia.

The Guardian - Film

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "he was operated for", ensure the context clearly indicates the medical condition or reason for the surgery to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using other prepositions in place of "for", such as "on" or "with", as they alter the meaning and are grammatically incorrect in this context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "he was operated for" functions as a passive construction indicating that a surgical procedure was performed on a male subject to address a specific medical reason. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "he was operated for" is a grammatically correct and reasonably common way to express that someone underwent surgery for a specific reason. As Ludwig AI confirms, the expression is suitable for use in written English. While it appears in both news and scientific contexts, consider using more formal synonyms like "he underwent surgery for" in particularly formal settings. When using the phrase, always ensure that the reason for the operation is clear to avoid any ambiguity. Be mindful of alternatives to enhance clarity and formality when needed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

he underwent surgery for

Replaces "operated" with "underwent surgery", a more formal alternative.

he had surgery because of

Changes the structure to emphasize the cause of the surgery.

he received an operation for

Uses "received an operation" as a slightly more passive construction.

the surgery was performed due to

Shifts the focus to the surgery itself, indicating the reason.

he was treated surgically for

Highlights the treatment aspect using surgery.

he had an operation to address

Uses "address" to describe the purpose of the operation.

his surgery aimed to correct

Focuses on the corrective nature of the surgery.

they operated on him because of

Emphasizes the actors performing the surgery and its cause.

he went under the knife for

An idiomatic expression indicating surgery.

he was operated upon to treat

A more formal variation using "operated upon".

FAQs

What does "he was operated for" mean?

It means that a male person underwent a surgical procedure to treat a specific medical condition. It indicates the reason or purpose of the operation.

What can I say instead of "he was operated for"?

You can use alternatives like "he underwent surgery for", "he had surgery because of", or "he received an operation for" depending on the context.

Is "he was operated on for" the same as "he was operated for"?

"He was operated on for" is a more common and preferred phrasing compared to "he was operated for", although the latter is grammatically correct.

Can "he was operated for" be used in formal writing?

While grammatically sound, consider more formal alternatives such as "he underwent surgery for" in highly formal contexts.