Glossary

Glossary

Angina

Heart pain caused by a shortage of blood and oxygen.

Angioplasty

Surgery to expand arteries by compressing plaque with a balloon.

Arterial

Referring to the oxygen-rich, high-pressure side of the circulatory system.

Atheroma

The fat deposits inside arteries in atherosclerosis.

Cannula

A small tube inserted into an artery or vein.

Catheter

A hollow tube often used to insert equipment, or withdraw samples, from veins or arteries.

Cauterize

To close off using heat.

Heart failure

Death of heart muscle, causing loss of blood circulation and possibly death.

Hemorrhaging

Uncontrolled bleeding.

Ischemia

Decline in blood supply.

Oxidizing

Combining chemically with oxygen.

Perfusion

Dispersal of oxygen-rich blood to virtually all tissues in the body.

Perfusionist

Operator of the heart-lung machine.

Rejection

Attack by the immune system on foreign tissues that have been transplanted into it.

Risk factors

Conditions that are statistically likely to make surgery more dangerous.

Thoracic

Related to the thorax, the part of the body between the neck and diaphragm .

Transducer

A device that changes energy from one form to another.

Uremic

A blood condition marked by acidosis, anemia and other systemic symptoms.

Venous

Referring to the return side of the circulatory system.

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