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Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG) (CABG, Open Heart Surgery, Bypass Surgery) Procedure Overview What is coronary artery bypass surgery? Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is a procedure used to treat coronary artery disease in certain circumstances. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the narrowing of the coronary arteries (the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle), caused by a buildup of fatty material within the walls of the arteries. This buildup causes t...

Heart Transplantation Procedure (Transplant-Heart, Heart Transplant, Cardiac Transplant) Procedure Overview What is a heart transplant? A heart transplant is a surgical procedure performed to remove the diseased heart from a patient and replace it with a healthy one from an organ donor. In order to remove the heart from the donor, two or more physicians must declare the donor brain-dead. Before a person can be put on a waiting list for a heart transplant, a physician makes the determination that there i...

Heart Valve Repair or Replacement Surgery (Open Heart Surgery) Procedure Overview What is heart valve repair or replacement surgery? Heart valve repair or replacement surgery is a treatment option for valvular heart disease. When heart valves become damaged or diseased, they may not function properly. Conditions which may cause heart valve dysfunction are valvular stenosis and valvular insufficiency (regurgitation). When one (or more) valve(s) becomes stenotic (stiff), the heart muscle must work harder ...

Valvuloplasty (Balloon Valvuloplasty) Procedure Overview What is valvuloplasty? Valvuloplasty is performed, in certain circumstances, to open a stenotic (stiff) heart valve. In valvuloplasty, a very small, narrow, hollow tube, or catheter, is advanced from a blood vessel in the groin through the aorta into the heart. Once the catheter is placed in the valve to be opened, a large balloon at the tip of the catheter is inflated until the leaflets (flaps) of the valve are opened. Once the valve has been ope...

Lobectomy (Thoracotomy, Thoracoscopic Lobectomy, Removal of a Lobe of the Lungs, Lung Surgery) Procedure Overview What is a lobectomy? A lobectomy is a surgical procedure performed to remove one of the lobes of the lungs. The procedure may be performed when an abnormality has been detected in a specific part of the lung. When only the affected lobe of the lung is removed, the remaining healthy tissue is spared to maintain adequate lung function. A lobectomy is most often performed during a surgical proc...

Lung Biopsy (Biopsy-Lung, Closed Lung Biopsy, Transthoracic Needle Lung Biopsy, Percutaneous Needle Lung Biopsy, Transbronchial Lung Biopsy, Pulmonary Biopsy, Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery, VATS) Procedure Overview What is a lung biopsy? A biopsy is a procedure performed to remove tissue or cells from the body for examination under a microscope. A lung biopsy is a procedure in which samples of lung tissue are removed (with a special biopsy needle or during surgery) to determine if lung disease or canc...

Heart Defects Causing Too Little Blood Flow Through the Lungs Heart defects that cause too little blood flow through the lungs require clinical care by a physician or other healthcare professional. Listed in the directory below are some of these defects, for which we have provided a brief overview. Tricuspid Atresia (TA) Pulmonary Atresia (PA) Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) Tetralogy of Fallot

Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) Click Image to Enlarge What is a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)? PDA is a heart problem that is usually noted in the first few weeks or months after birth. It is characterized by a connection between the aorta and the pulmonary artery which allows oxygen-rich (red) blood that should go to the body to recirculate through the lungs. All babies are born with this connection between the aorta and the pulmonary artery. While your baby was developing in the uterus, it was not ne...

Pulmonary Atresia (PA) What is pulmonary atresia? Click Image to Enlarge Pulmonary atresia (PA) is a complicated congenital (present at birth) defect that occurs due to abnormal development of the fetal heart during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. The pulmonary valve is found between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. It has three leaflets that function like a one-way door, allowing blood to flow forward into the pulmonary artery, but not backward into the right ventricle. With pulmonary atre...

Pulmonary Stenosis What is pulmonary stenosis? Click Image to Enlarge Pulmonary stenosis is a congenital (present at birth) defect that occurs due to abnormal development of the fetal heart during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. The pulmonary valve is found between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. It has three leaflets that function like a one-way door, allowing blood to flow forward into the pulmonary artery, but not backward into the right ventricle. With pulmonary stenosis, problems with...

Tetralogy of Fallot What is tetralogy of Fallot? Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF or "TET") is a complex condition of several congenital (present at birth) defects that occur due to abnormal development of the fetal heart during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. These problems include the following: Click Image to Enlarge ventricular septal defect (VSD) - an opening in the ventricular septum, or dividing wall between the two lower chambers of the heart known as the right and left ventricles. pulmonary (or right v...

Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) What is transposition of the great arteries? Click Image to Enlarge Transposition of the great arteries is a congenital (present at birth) heart defect. Due to abnormal development of the fetal heart during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, the large vessels that take blood away from the heart to the lungs, or to the body, are improperly connected. Normally, oxygen-poor (blue) blood returns to the right atrium from the body, travels to the right ventricle, then is...

Tricuspid Atresia (TA) What is tricuspid atresia? Click Image to Enlarge Tricuspid atresia (TA) is a congenital (present at birth) heart defect that occurs due to abnormal development of the fetal heart during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. The tricuspid valve, normally located between the right atrium and the right ventricle, does not develop properly during pregnancy. Normally, oxygen-poor (blue) blood returns to the right atrium from the body, travels to the right ventricle, then is pumped through t...

Truncus Arteriosus What is truncus arteriosus? Click Image to Enlarge Truncus arteriosus is a congenital (present at birth) defect that occurs due to abnormal development of the fetal heart during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. The heart begins as a hollow tube, and the chambers, valves, and great arteries develop throughout the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. The aorta and pulmonary artery start as a single blood vessel, which eventually divides and becomes two separate arteries. Truncus arteriosus occurs...

Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) What is a ventricular septal defect? Click Image to Enlarge A ventricular septal defect is an opening in the ventricular septum, or dividing wall between the two lower chambers of the heart known as the right and left ventricles. VSD is a congenital (present at birth) heart defect. As the fetus is growing, something occurs to affect heart development during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, resulting in a VSD. Normally, oxygen-poor (blue) blood returns to the right atrium f...

Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) What is an atrial septal defect? Click Image to Enlarge An atrial septal defect is an opening in the atrial septum, or dividing wall between the two upper chambers of the heart known as the right and left atria. ASD is a congenital (present at birth) heart defect. As the fetus is growing, something occurs to affect heart development during the first eight weeks of pregnancy, resulting in an ASD. Normally, oxygen-poor (blue) blood returns to the right atrium from the body, trav...

Atrioventricular Canal (AV Canal or AVC) What is atrioventricular canal defect? Atrioventricular canal defect (AV canal) is a congenital (present at birth) heart defect. Other terms used to describe this defect are endocardial cushion defect and atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD). As the fetus is growing, something occurs to affect heart development during the first eight weeks of pregnancy, and certain areas of the heart do not form properly. AV canal is a complex heart problem that involves several...

Coarctation of the Aorta What is coarctation of the aorta? Click Image to Enlarge Coarctation of the aorta is a congenital (present at birth) heart defect involving a narrowing of the aorta. The aorta is the large artery that carries oxygen-rich (red) blood from the left ventricle to the body. It is shaped like a candy cane, with the first section moving up towards the head (ascending aorta), then curving in a C-shape as smaller arteries that are attached to it carry blood to the head and arms (aortic a...

Congenital Heart Disease Index There are many different congenital heart defects (i.e., heart defects present at birth) that require clinical care by a physician or other healthcare professional. Listed in the directory below are some, for which we have provided a brief overview. Overview of Congenital Heart Disease Fetal Circulation Factors Contributing to Congenital Heart Disease Genetic Disorders Associated with Congenital Heart Disease Heart Defects Causing Too Much Flow Through the Lungs Heart Defe...

Cardiac Conditions and Diseases There are many cardiac conditions that require clinical care by a physician or other heart care professional. Listed in the directory below are some of these conditions, for which we have provided a brief overview. Angina Pectoris Arrhythmias Pacemakers and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs ) Overview of Pacemaker and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs ) Living With a Pacemaker or Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) Frequently Asked Questio...

Cardiac Procedures The following procedures are often used in the evaluation and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Consult your physician or heart care professional for more specific information. Cardiac procedures for abnormal heart rhythms: catheter ablation This procedure uses radio waves or freezing to silence an abnormal area in the heart's electrical system, which is usually found during an electrophysiology study. permanent pacemaker A permanent pacemaker is inserted into the patient's heart a...

Coronary Heart Disease Click Image to Enlarge What are the coronary arteries? Coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle. Like all other tissues in the body, the heart muscle needs oxygen-rich blood to function, and oxygen-depleted blood must be carried away. The coronary arteries consist of two main arteries: the right and left coronary arteries. The left coronary artery system branches into the circumflex artery and the left anterior descending artery. What are the different coronary arteries?...

Heart Valve Diseases Click Image to Enlarge What are heart valves? The heart consists of four chambers, two atria (upper chambers) and two ventricles (lower chambers). There is a valve through which blood passes before leaving each chamber of the heart. The valves prevent the backward flow of blood. These valves are actual flaps (also called leaflets) that are located on each end of the two ventricles (lower chambers of the heart). They act as one-way inlets of blood on one side of a ventricle and one-w...

Topic Index Basic Anatomy of the Heart Anatomy and Function of the Heart's Electrical System Anatomy and Function of the Coronary Arteries Anatomy and Function of the Heart Valves Statistics Cardiac Diagnostic Tests Vital Signs Cardiac Procedures Cardiac Rehabilitation Cardiac Conditions and Diseases Stroke (Brain Attack) Vascular Conditions and Diseases Preventing Cardiovascular Disease Glossary The cardiovascular system is made up of the heart and blood vessels. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD), as defin...

Myths and Facts About Donating, Receiving Blood Many myths are associated with donating and receiving blood, including the threat of catching HIV, hepatitis, and other communicable diseases. The American Red Cross estimates that less than 5 percent of eligible people donate blood. Let's dispel some of the myths by examining the facts about donating and receiving blood. Donating blood Contrary to popular belief, it's not possible to contract HIV when donating blood, as long as the needles are sterile and...

Helping the Heart Through Cardiac Rehab A rehabilitation program often can help heart patients live better with their disease and recover from medical procedures like surgery and angioplasty. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, cardiac rehab services are comprehensive and long-term. They include a medical evaluation; exercise under a doctor's supervision; modification of cardiac risk factors; and education, counseling, and behavior modification. Only a small percentage of the mi...