"she had an operation" vs "she had undergone an operation"

Question

"she had an operation" vs "she had undergone an operation"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'She had undergone an operation' emphasizes the completion of the action and is often used when discussing a series of events or a specific point in time. 'She had an operation' is more straightforward and commonly used in general conversation.

Last Updated: March 12, 2024

This phrase is a more straightforward way to convey that someone had a medical procedure without emphasizing the completion of the action. It is commonly used in everyday language.

Examples:

She had an operation last week and is recovering well.
I heard she had an operation on her shoulder.

Alternatives:

She underwent surgery
She had a procedure
She had a medical operation
She had a surgical intervention
She had a surgery

This phrase is used to highlight that the operation was completed at a specific point in time or as part of a series of events. It adds a sense of finality to the action.

Examples:

After weeks of preparation, she had undergone an operation to remove the tumor.
By the time she woke up, she had undergone an operation on her knee.

Alternatives:

She underwent an operation
She had a surgical procedure
She had surgery
She had an operation performed
She had an operation done

Answer 1

she had an operation

This phrase is correct and commonly used in general conversation.

Answer 2

she had undergone an operation

This phrase is correct and emphasizes the completion of the action.

"she had an operation" vs "she had undergone an operation"

she had an operation

she had undergone an operation

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