CH. 10: Cardiovascular Surgical/Treatment Terms Flashcards
angioplasty
surgical repair of a blood vessel
atherectomy
excision of fatty plaque (from a blocked artery using a specialized catheter and a rotary cutter)
embolectomy
excision of a plug (embolus or clot, usu. with a balloon catheter, inflating the balloon beyond the clot, then pulling the balloon)
endarterectomy
excision within the artery (excision of plaque from the arterial wall)
pericardiocentesis
surgical puncture to aspirate fluid from the sac surrounding the heart (usu. to relieve cardiac tamponade and/or for diagnostic investigation)
phlebectomy
excision of a vein
valvuloplasty
surgical repair of a valve (cardiac or venous)
artificial cardiac pacemaker
battery-powered apparatus implanted under the skin with leads placed on the heart or in the chamber of the heart used to treat an abnormal heart rhythm, usu. one that is too slow, secondary to an abnormal sinus node
automatic implantable cardiac defibrillator (AICD)
device implanted in the body that continuously monitors the heart rhythm; if life-threatening arrhythmias occur, the device delivers an electric shock to convert the arrhythmia back to a normal rhythm
catheter ablation
procedure in which abnormal cells that trigger abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) are destroyed by using a device that heats or freezes the cells
coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
surgical technique to bring a new blood supply to heart muscle by detouring around blocked arteries
coronary stent
supportive scaffold device placed in the coronary artery; used to prevent closure of the artery after angioplasty or atherectomy; used to treat an artery occluded by plaque
femoropopliteal bypass
surgery to establish an alternate route from femoral artery to popliteal artery to bypass an obstruction
percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)
procedure in which a balloon is advanced into a coronary artery to the area where plaque has formed; when the balloon is inflated, the vessel wall expands, allowing blood to flow more freely (also called balloon angioplasty)
thrombolytic therapy
injection of a medication either intravenously or intra-arterially to dissolved blood clots; it is often used in emergency departments for acute myocardial infarction.
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
emergency procedure consisting of external cardiac compressions; may be accompanied by artificial ventilation
defibrillation
application of an electric shock to the myocardium through the chest wall to restore normal cardiac rhythm
vasoconstrictor
agent that narrows the diameter of the blood vessels
vasodilator
agent that expands the diameter of the blood vessels
C-reative protein (CRP)
blood test to measure the amount of C-reactive protein in the blood, which when elevated, indicates inflammation in the body. It is sometimes used in assessing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
creatine phosphokinase (CPK)
blood test used to measure the level of creatine phosphokinase, an enzyme of heart and skeletal muscle released into the blood after muscle injury or necrosis. The test is useful in evaluating patients with acute myocardial infarction.
lipid profile
blood test used to measure the amount and type of lipids (fat-like substances) in a sample of blood. This test is used to evaluate one of the risks of cardiovascular disease, and to monitor therapy for patients taking lipid-lowering medications.
troponin
blood test that measures troponin, a heart muscle enzyme. Troponins are released into the blood approx. 3 hours after necrosis of the heart muscle and may remain elevated from 7 to 10 days. The test is useful in the diagnosis of a myocardial infarction.
