Glossary entries within this article:
- Angioplasty
- Procedure used to widen narrow arteries by means of a deflated balloon at the end of a catheter.
- Aorta
- The chief artery that receives blood from the left ventricle of the heart and causes it to flow to the body.
- Artery
- A vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. It generally carries blood which is rich in oxygen. The exception in mammals is the pulmonary artery which takes deoxygenated blood to the lungs.
- Balloon catheter
- This is used to dilate a narrow structure (see also angioplasty).
- Blood pressure
- Pressure which is exerted by the heart when it pumps blood.
- CAD (coronary artery disease)
- Condition in which deposits of fat or plaques build up in the cells lining the wall of a coronary artery, thus obstructing the flow of blood.
- Cardiac catheterization
- Placement of a catheter in an artery or vein in order to investigate the heart, sometimes using a fluoroscope to view the heart. The catheter is passed through an artery in either the forearm or groin, to the coronary arteries.
- Catheter
- A thin, flexible tube that is inserted into a vein or artery. It is made of material to which blood will not adhere.
- Catheterization
- Insertion of a catheter into a vein or artery, guiding it through the heart chambers and surrounding vessels for the purpose of examination or treatment.
- Collateral circulation
- Network of small arteries which are normally closed. If the coronary artery is blocked, they may open up in order to take blood to the heart.
- Coronary angiogram
- A test to indicate where the arteries are constricted and how narrow they have become.
- Coronary angioplasty
- Treatment to enhance blood supply to the heart muscle. A catheter with a small inflatable balloon at its tip is inserted into an artery in the groin and threaded through the constricted artery. Then the balloon is inflated so that it presses the fatty tissue responsible for the constriction, thus widening the artery.
- Coronary
- Relating to the heart or one of the two arteries which originate in the aorta and supply blood directly to the heart tissue.
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Condition in which the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to meet the requirements of the other organs in the body.
- Heart-lung machine
- (cardiopulmonary bypass) Instrument which oxygenates and pumps blood during open-heart surgery.
- Ischemic heart disease
- Disorder caused by insufficient blood supply due to a constriction of coronary arteries.
- Pulmonary artery
- Artery which takes blood from the heart to the lungs.
- Stent
- Small supporting frame positioned inside the artery in order to reduce the chance of the artery becoming constricted again.
In the glossary you will find terms that we have provided with some extra-information.
Glossary
