Glossary of Terms
Below is a glossary of frequently used terms that relate to Boston Scientific's products and related procedures.
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.
Length of the lesion, as measured from end-to-end by a core laboratory.
The hollow space inside a blood vessel through which the blood flows.
Cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) including Q- and non Q-wave MI, and target vessel revascularization (TVR).
Permanent damage to the heart tissue and muscle due to the interruption of the blood supply to the area. Commonly referred to as a heart attack.
The act of closing or the state of being closed.
A carrier that provides uniform drug coverage along the stent, enables time-released dosing and is vascular compatible.
After a stent has been expanded, another balloon catheter may be inserted inside the stent and inflated to size the stent more precisely to the vessel wall.
The use of a balloon catheter to dilate a coronary lesion prior to placement of the coronary stent. This procedure provides the physician access for the stent delivery system as well as aiding in selection of stent size.
The growth of neointimal tissue within an artery after angioplasty and stenting.
An expandable metal tube that supports the vessel wall and maintains blood flow through the opened vessel.
A repeat percutaneous intervention of the target lesion or bypass surgery of the target vessel involving the target lesion.
A repeat percutaneous intervention of the target vessel or bypass surgery of the target vessel.
Blood clot.
A vein or artery.