Glossary of Terms

A procedure in which radiofrequency energy is delivered through an intracardiac catheter to effectively heat the heart tissue and render it electrically inactive.  Used to treat tachyarrhythmias.

Symptoms experienced when the heart muscle is not receiving adequate oxygen (may include chest, arm or back pain, shortness of breath).

An X-ray of blood vessels filled with contrast media; a diagnostic procedure is generally referred to as an angiogram.

A less-invasive treatment of the coronary arteries to open blocked arterial vessels. Also known as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Any variation from a normal heartbeat. It can be an abnormality either of the rate, the regularity or site of impulse origin or the sequence of activation. A slow heart rate is a bradyarrhythmia and a fast heart rate is a tachyarrhythmia.

A procedure to remove plaque from the inside of a blood vessel. Most commonly, atherectomy is done in major arteries such as the coronary arteries and other major arteries that have experienced the occlusive effects of atherosclerosis. Atherectomy may be accomplished by various means, including a balloon-tipped catheter, a laser, conventional surgical incision or a small, drill-tipped catheter.

A disease in which the flow of blood to the heart is restricted with plaque deposits (a build-up of cholesterol and other fats, calcium and certain other elements carried in the blood) and therefore, less oxygen and other nutrients reach the heart muscle. This may lead to chest pain (angina pectoris) or to a heart attack (myocardial infarction).

Opening a blocked artery by using a balloon catheter that is inflated inside the vessel. A catheter is a thin plastic tube used to access various parts of the body, such as the coronary arteries. A treatment device – such as a stent – is often attached to the catheter.

A catheter with a balloon attached to the tip, used to dilate and widen a passageway in the body. Balloon catheters are used to open arteries that are blocked by plaque by compressing the blockage against the wall of the vessel, opening a passage and restoring blood flow. The balloon catheter now also serves as a means to open an adequate pathway to deliver a stent, known as pre-dilatation.

A catheter with a balloon attached to the tip, used to dilate and widen a passageway in the body.

50 percent or greater vessel re-occlusion.

Radiation treatment given by placing radioactive material directly in or near the target, which is often a tumor.

Procedures used to study the various functions of the heart. Using different techniques, the coronary arteries can be viewed by injecting dye or opened using balloon angioplasty.

Disease affecting the heart or blood vessels. Cardiovascular diseases include arteriosclerosis, coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, arrhythmia, heart failure, hypertension, orthostatic hypotension, endocarditis, diseases of the aorta and its branches, disorders of the peripheral vascular system, and congenital heart disease.

A thin plastic tube used to access various parts of the body, such as the coronary arteries. A treatment device – such as a stent – is often attached to the catheter.

Related to arteries that supply blood and nutrients to the heart.

A test to determine if coronary artery disease is present. Contrast dye is injected into the coronary arteries and a fluoroscope allows clinicians to see the vessels on an X-ray screen.

The arteries that surround the heart and supply blood containing oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle.

The medical term for open heart or bypass surgery. This surgery is carried out to relieve angina (chest pain or discomfort caused by reduced blood supply to the heart) by creating a bypass around blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. The bypass itself is a short length of artery or vein taken from the leg or chest and grafted onto the heart above and below the blocked artery.

Disease affecting the coronary arteries that surround the heart and supply blood to the heart muscle. It occurs when the lumen of the coronary arteries becomes narrowed with plaque deposits (a build-up of cholesterol and other fats, calcium and other elements carried in the blood).

Drug-eluting stent refers to a stent with an active drug that is intended to produce a therapeutic effect (e.g., reduction of restenosis).

A thin, flexible wire that can be inserted into a confined space to act as a guide to facilitate passage of a device, such as a catheter.

Area within the boundaries of the stent.

A tiny ultrasound "camera" that is threaded into the arteries to give physicians a cross-sectional view, showing where the normal artery wall ends and the plaque begins. Used in conjunction with angiography, the catheter-based IVUS technology gives physicians a more detailed understanding of the plaque in patients’ arteries. In certain situations, IVUS can aid in the selection and sizing of stents and balloons and can offer assurance that a stent has been properly deployed.

Neointimal formation post procedure.