Definitions

When you come to the Heart Institute, you will probably hear words that are not familiar to you. Some commonly used terms are defined in this section.

Ablation — a procedure performed in the catheterization (cath) lab in which radiofrequency energy passes through a special catheter to disrupt abnormal electrical pathways inside the heart; it is used to treat arrhythmias

Arrhythmia — any change in the normal rate or rhythm of the heartbeat

Artery — any large blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the various parts of the body

Atresia — the absence of an opening where one should be located

Atria — the two upper chambers of the heart; atrium is the word used to refer to a single chamber

Balloon Atrial Septostomy (Rashkind Procedure) — a procedure performed in the cath lab with a special catheter containing a deflated balloon at its tip; the catheter is inserted through a hole in the wall separating the two upper chambers of the heart (atria); when the balloon is inflated and passed through the hole, it usually increases the size of the opening; after this process, the balloon is deflated and the catheter removed

Balloon Angioplasty — a procedure performed in the cath lab with a special catheter containing a deflated balloon at its tip; the catheter is inserted into a narrowed blood vessel; when the balloon is carefully inflated, the narrowed area may be stretched open; after this dilation, the balloon is deflated and the catheter removed

Balloon Valvuloplasty — a procedure performed in the cath lab with a special catheter containing a deflated balloon at its tip; the catheter is inserted into the opening of a narrowed heart valve; when the balloon is carefully inflated, the valve may be stretched open; after this dilation, the balloon is deflated and the catheter removed

Blood Pressure — the pressure of the blood flowing in the arteries

Cardiomyopathy — a disease that weakens the heart muscle; it has many different causes

Catheter — a long, thin hollow tube that is inserted into a blood vessel during a cardiac catheterization

Cyanosis — a blueness of the lips, nail beds and skin; it occurs when there is not enough oxygen in the blood

Diastolic Blood Pressure — the bottom number in a blood pressure reading; it is the pressure of the blood in the arteries when the heart muscle is relaxed between each beat

Edema — an abnormal amount of fluid in the body tissue; it can result in swelling in various parts of the body, especially the ankles, abdomen, feet or eyelids

Endocarditis (Bacterial Endocarditis or BE) — an infection of the inner lining (endocardium) of the heart or heart valves

Endocardium — the thin lining which covers the inside of the heart

Enlarged Heart — the presence of a heart problem sometimes causes the heart muscle to work very hard; like the body muscles of weight lifters, a heart muscle that is overworked becomes bigger or enlarged

Heart Failure — results when the heart cannot effectively pump blood through the body and lungs; inability of the heart to pump well (failure) may cause swelling (edema) to occur in the body or extra fluid to accumulate in the lungs

Heart Murmur — an unusual noise made as the blood moves through the heart that can be heard by listening with a stethoscope; there are two kinds of murmurs–one is functional or innocent and is heard in children with normal hearts; the other kind of murmur indicates a structural abnormality, which may or may not be serious

Insufficiency — an inadequate functioning of a valve causing regurgitation (leaking or backward flow) of blood through a valve (see Regurgitation)

Myocardial Infarction — a heart attack or damage to an area of the heart muscle (myocardium) caused by an interference in blood supply to that area; it is rare in children with heart disease

Myocarditis — an inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium)

Myocardium — the muscular part of the heart that pumps blood

Occlusion — a procedure performed in the cath lab with a special catheter that allows the placement of various kinds of devices to block patent ductus arteriosus, atrial septal defect or other abnormal connections

Pacemaker (artificial) — a small battery-operated instrument that controls the beating of the heart by sending electrical impulses to the heart muscle; it is used when the heart is beating too slowly; artificial pacemakers may be used temporarily or permanently

Pericarditis — an inflammation of the thin, elastic sac around the heart (pericardium)

Pericardium — the thin elastic-like sac that covers the outside of the heart

Pulmonary Edema — an abnormal amount of fluid that accumulates in the lungs and makes breathing difficult; heart failure may lead to pulmonary edema

Pulmonary Hypertension — an abnormally high pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs

Regurgitation — the abnormal backward flow of blood through a heart valve caused by a valve that is not functioning adequately (see Insufficiency)

Septum — the muscular wall in the middle of the heart that divides the heart into a left side and a right side; the upper part of the septum (atrial septum) separates the right and left atria; the lower part of the septum (ventricular septum) separates the right and left ventricles

Stenosis — an abnormal narrowing or tightening of a valve or blood vessel

Stent — a device inserted into a blood vessel to make a narrowing larger; the device is implanted with a special catheter during a catheterization procedure

Systolic Blood Pressure — the top number in a blood pressure reading; it is the pressure of the blood when the heart muscle contracts with each beat

Valves — structures of the heart that act as one-way doors, allowing blood to flow in the proper direction; there are four major valves–mitral, tricuspid, aortic and pulmonary; these structures can be malformed at birth or affected by diseases like rheumatic fever or endocarditis

Vein — any blood vessel that carries blood from the body to the heart

Ventricles — the two lower chambers of the heart