|
Cardiac
and Diagnostic Procedure Glossary
Several tests are used to diagnose the presence of heart and
cardiovascular disease and determine its extent, and there
are a variety of procedures performed to treat these
conditions. Your doctor will consider your symptoms, your
medical and family history, your risk factors, and the
results of a physical exam to determine which tests and
treatments will be most appropriate. Here are some of the
more common tests and procedures utilized.
View the Cardiac Glossary,
Cardiac Medications Glossary,
and
Cardiac and Diagnostic Glossary to better understand terms
related to the health of your heart.
A - E F-
J K
- O P
- T U
- Z
Heart Scan (also known as
Electron Beam Computed Tomography or
Ultrafast®CT)
The high-speed form of X-ray imaging technology. It is used to evaluate various structures and functions in the heart and to measure calcium deposits in the coronary arteries.
Heart Transplant
Surgery that replaces a damaged heart with a healthy heart taken from a donor. This surgical procedure is for selected patients whose hearts are so severely damaged that medications, procedures, and surgical repair cannot help. A donated heart is transplanted into the patient to replace the damaged heart.
Heart Valve Replacement Surgery (Artificial Heart Valve Surgery)
Open-heart surgery to replace a defective or diseased heart valve. Replacement heart valves are either natural (biologic) or artificial (mechanical). Natural valves are from human donors. Modified natural valves come from animal donors. Artificial valves are made of metal.
Holter Monitor
A device worn by a patient for a continuous period of time (usually 24-48 hours) to provide an EKG recording of the heart's rhythm during the time it is worn. It can be used in the diagnosis of arrhythmias.
Intravascular Ultrasound
A technique in which an ultrasound catheter is placed in the bloodstream during a heart catheterization to visualize blood vessels "from the inside." This technique is particularly helpful in cases of complex narrowing (stenosis), as may occur in the aorta or pulmonary arteries.
|