Temporary paralysis or stopping of the heart, deliberately induced during cardiac surgery to allow surgeons to operate safely.
From Greek 'kardia' (heart) + 'plege' (stroke or blow, from 'plessein' to strike) + '-ia' (condition). The 'plegia' root appears in 'paraplegia' (paralyzed legs) and 'hemiplegia' (paralyzed half-body).
Cardioplegia sounds terrifying—deliberately stopping someone's heart!—but it's actually brilliant surgery: cold saline solution stops the heart and brain, lowering their oxygen needs so surgeons have a still target to operate on without time pressure.
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