Skip to main content
Shirodkar's operation

Shirodkar's operation

9.9
A surgical operation that puts a stitch around the cervix to stop it opening too early in pregnancy
  • noun
  • /ʃɪˈroʊd.kɑrz ˌɑːpəˈreɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : operación de Shirodkar
  • A Shirodkar's operation can improve the chances of carrying a baby to full term in women with cervical incompetence.

Examples

  • The obstetrician decided to perform a Shirodkar's operation to prevent another premature birth.

  • After undergoing a Shirodkar's operation, she was closely monitored throughout her pregnancy.

  • Dr. Smith performed Shirodkar's operation successfully.

  • After her last miscarriage, she decided to have Shirodkar's operation.

  • A Shirodkar's operation can enhance the likelihood of carrying a baby to term for women diagnosed with cervical incompetence.

  • Following her Shirodkar's operation, the doctor advised her to rest and attend regular check-ups during her pregnancy.

  • To reduce the risk of miscarriage, the specialist suggested a Shirodkar's operation to reinforce the cervix.

Synonyms

purse-string operation
vsShirodkar's operation
  • Specialized
9.6

An operation that sews the lower part of the womb closed during pregnancy to prevent early birth

is reserved for cases after earlier cervical failure to prevent further pregnancy loss

Surface Forms

Morphology

Shirodkar's + operation

This is an eponymic medical term: 'operation' only signals a surgical procedure but the proper name 'Shirodkar's' provides no semantic cues about the specific cervical suture technique. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words would at best guess it is some kind of surgery but would not be able to derive the precise meaning (a cervix‑suture procedure), so the expression is not compositionally transparent.

Etymology

Shirodkar's operation is named after the doctor who first used a small suture placed around the cervix to hold it shut. So, the picture of that stitch acting like a tight belt explains why the operation is used 'to prevent premature opening' during pregnancy.