Most of us know someone who has suffered a stroke. The consequences can be...
Heart disease can be confusing and, often, frightening. Whether you or a loved one has been recently diagnosed or you are already living with the symptoms, you may you’re your condition described using medical terms that are unfamiliar to you. Provided below is a glossary of common medical terms.
Ablation – A treatment method that uses hot or cold energy to block the faulty electrical impulses responsible for atrial fibrillation.
ACE – American Society Of Echocardiography
Angina – Chest pain caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle.
Angiograms – An X-ray image of the arteries and vessels leading to the heart that is obtained during cardiac catheterization procedure.
Aorta – The largest artery in the body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and bringing oxygenated blood to all parts of the body.
Arrhythmia – Any change in the normal sequence of electrical impulses that cause the heart to beat regularly, and therefore disrupt the flow of blood to other parts of the body.
Arterial Switch Operation (ASO) – An open-heart procedure used to correct transposition of the great arteries, a condition in which the aorta and pulmonary artery are reversed.
Atherosclerosis – A condition in which the arteries leading to the heart become thick and hard due to a build-up of fatty substances, cholesterol, calcium and other materials commonly known as “plaque.”
Artery – A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart.
Atrium – The upper chamber of the heart that allows blood to return to the heart.
Balloon Angioplasty – An invasive catheterization procedure that uses an inflated balloon to clear blockages in the vessels leading to the heart.
Bradycardia – A form of arrhythmia in which the heart beats too slowly.
Cardiac Catheterization – A procedure used to diagnose and sometimes treat blockages in the veins leading to the heart. A catheter is inserted into the artery through a vein in the leg and threaded upwards to the heart. There, a special X-ray camera and dye are used to measure the flow of blood and oxygen levels.
Cardiomyopathy – A general term for diseases of the heart muscle in which the muscle becomes inflamed and is not able to function normally. There may be multiple causes, including viral infections.
Cardiopulmonary Bypass – A device that allows the heart to be safely stopped during cardiac surgical procedures. It is often called the “heart/lung machine.”
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) – A condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to the rest of the body. It is typically characterized by a group of clinical symptoms including fluid retention, shortness of breath and fatigue.
Coronary – Relating to the heart, or to one of the two arteries that originate in the aorta and supply blood directly to heart tissue.
Cyanosis – A bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes that is caused by low levels of oxygen in the blood.
Defibrillator – A mechanical device that is implanted in the body to treat life-threatening heart rhythm abnormalities. If a dangerous heart rhythm is detected, the device delivers an electrical current to correct it.
DO – Doctor of Osteopathy
Echocardiography – The use of high frequency sound waves that echo or bounce off the heart to produce moving “real time” images. The non-invasive procedure allows physicians to study the heart’s movement, structure and blood flow to identify abnormalities such as tissue damage or poorly functioning valves.
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) – A non-invasive test used to measure the electrical activity of a patient’s heart and identify arrhythmias or other abnormalities.
FACC – Fellow Of The American College Of Cardiology
FACE – Fellow Of The American College Of Emergency Physicians
FACP – Fellow Of The American College Of Physicians
FAHA – Fellow of the American Heart Association
FASE – Federation Of American Societies For Experimental Biology
FCCP – Fellow Of The American College Of Chest Physicians
FHRS – Fellow of the Heart Rhythm Society
Fibrillation – The rapid, irregular, and unsynchronized contraction of the muscle fibers of the heart, which results in a quivering sensation.
FSCAI – Fellow Of The Society For Cardiac Angiography And Interventions
Holter Monitor – A device used to secure a constant reading of a patient’s heart rate and rhythm over a 24 to 48 hour period.
Homograft – Material (usually human heart valves and arteries) donated from a cadaver that is used during complex reconstructive surgery.
Hypertension – A condition in which a person’s blood pressure is abnormally high.
Hypoplasia – Underdevelopment or incomplete development of a cardiovascular structure such as a pumping chamber, valve or large blood vessel.
Intravascular Ultrasound – An imaging technique in which an ultrasound catheter is placed in the bloodstream during a heart catheterization to allow doctors to see blood vessels from the inside.
Ischemia – A condition in which the blood flow and oxygen are restricted to a part of the body.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – An imaging device that allows physicians to view detailed images of the heart, blood vessels, lungs and other organs.
Maze Procedure – A surgical procedure, also known as open chest surgical ablation, that is used to control atrial fibrillation.
MD – Medical Doctor
Mitral Valve – Valve that separates the left atrium and the left ventricle and prevents back-flow from the ventricle to the atrium.
N
Nurse Practitioner – An advanced practice nurse with special clinical training and an advanced degree in nursing.
Open-Heart Surgery – A common term for cardiac surgery, which creates new blood vessels that improve blood flow to the heart muscle once it has been affected by the presence of coronary artery disease. The heart is stopped and the patient’s circulation is supported by a heart-lung machine while surgeons take a healthy artery or vein from the leg, arm or chest and connect it to the area around the blocked artery to restore blood flow.
Premature atrial contraction – Commonly known as palpitations, this is an early beat of the upper chamber of the heart, which may result in the feeling of the heart &dquo;skipping.”
Premature ventricular contraction – An early beat of the lower chamber of the heart, which may result in the feeling of the heart &dquo;skipping.”
Prolapse – A condition in which a valve becomes “floppy” or displaced.
Pacemaker – A small, battery-operated device implanted under the skin of the chest or abdomen, which uses electrical pulses to control abnormal heart rhythms.
Palpitations – The sensation of the heart beating rapidly or irregularly.
Perfusionist – A specially trained individual who manages the heart/lung machine during bypass surgery.
Ross Procedure – A surgical technique to treat blockage or leaks within the aortic valve. The procedure involves using the patient’s own pulmonary valve to replace the abnormal aortic valve.
Shunt – A hole or passage that results in abnormal flow of blood through the chambers of the heart or in the arteries leading to the heart. The word “shunt” is also used to describe a surgically created connection that increases the flow of blood.
Statin – A class of drugs that lower cholesterol levels in people with cardiovascular disease or in those who are at risk of developing it.
Stenosis – An abnormal narrowing of a blood vessel that results in diminished blood flow.
Stent – A small, man-made tube that is inserted into a vein to open blockages in the arteries and prevent them from narrowing again.
Stroke – A condition caused by a blood clot that blocks an artery or a blood vessel that breaks, interrupting blood flow to the brain.
SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) – Rapid beating of the heart’s upper chambers.
Syncope – Loss of consciousness caused by temporary lack of oxygenated blood, which is often characterized by fainting.
Thoracoscopic Surgery – A type of minimally invasive surgery that is performed using small incisions and video cameras.
Transesophageal Echocardiography – An ultrasound technique in which a special tube is used to insert the probe into the esophagus, allowing physicians a clear view of the heart and surrounding valves from behind.
Tachycardia – Excessively fast heartbeat
Vein – A blood vessel that carries blood toward the heart.
Ventricle – The heart chamber that collects blood from the atrium and pumps it out of the heart.
Most of us know someone who has suffered a stroke. The consequences can be...
