Cardiovascular Prosthesis Flashcards
What is atherosclerosis?
- Build up on plaque in arteries restricting blood flow
What causes atherosclerosis?
Endothelial injury
Which can be due to diabetes, hypertension, smoking etc
What are the 3 main layers of veins?
- Tunica intima
- Tunica media
- Tunica adventitia
What is an angioplasty?
Manually widen narrow or obstructed arteries via balloon cathetar
Flattens plaque but doesnt remove it
What happens in a stenting?
Stent attached to cathethar
Balloon expands to make stent larger but stent stays permenantly
What type os drugs were used to coat stents?
Cancer drugs
Prevent tumour/regrowth around the stent
What is an atherectomy?
Procedure where you remove calcified plaque.
Uses a rotational grinder that breaks up and hoovers up the plaque
Why would you do a bypass graft?
When the vessel is too calcified to repair
What is a bypass graft?
Take vein from elsewhere and graph to the affected area
What is a heart-lung machine?
Takes over from the heart when in surgery, reoxygenates and circulates blood
What are the two types of vascular grafts?
- Autologous (taken from the patient)
- Synthetic
What must be considered for stent grafts?
- Suture retention
- Flexible
- Infection resistance
Why are synthetic grafts not good for small-diameter applications?
They are unable to maintain the correct flow rate and will fill with blood
What is compliance?
The ability of a vessel to distend and increase volume with increasing transmural pressure.
What is stenosis?
Narrowing of the artery
