complication

Meaning of complication: An added medical problem arising during an illness or after treatment, a complication may or may not relate to the original disease or procedure.

Definition of complication

A complication is an additional medical problem that develops during the course of a disease or following a procedure or treatment. A complication may result directly from the underlying disease itself, from the procedure or treatment given, or it may be an unrelated problem that happens to arise during the same period.

Complications vary widely in severity, from minor and temporary issues that resolve on their own to serious problems that require additional treatment or that affect a person's overall recovery. Because of this range, complications are generally described in terms of how likely they are and how they typically present, rather than treated as a single uniform category.

Recognizing that a symptom or finding represents a complication, rather than an expected part of the underlying condition or a separate new problem, often depends on its timing in relation to the original disease, procedure, or treatment, along with its specific pattern and severity.