Part II of Cardiac Terms you should know

How many times have you been to the Doctor and they use words that you have no idea the meaning? You run home and get on your computer as fast as you can and Google the term that you heard. At times, you might even have a tough time spelling them!

At Living for Zachary - we believe that it's imperative that everyone know some basic cardiac medical terms and their meaning. Just in case you might need to know. This is our Part II of Cardiac Medical Terms.

• Balloon valvuloplasty: A procedure performed to open a narrowed heart valve using a thin tube called a catheter with a small balloon at its tip. The catheter is inserted through a small incision in the groin and then threaded up to the opening of the narrowed heart valve. The balloon is then inflated to stretch the valve open and relieve valve obstruction. 
• Bi-leaflet: A valve that has two leaflets that regulate the flow of blood. A normal aortic valve has three leaflets. 
• Calcification: A disease state in which calcium from the blood collects in the body tissues. When this occurs on the leaflets of the heart’s valves, it may cause them to harden and reduce their ability to open and close properly.
• Cardiopulmonary bypass: Bypass of the heart and lungs. During this technique, which is often used during heart surgery, a heart-lung machine temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs.
• Catheterization: A procedure in which a thin tube called a catheter is inserted into the body.
• Congestive heart failure: A condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body's other organs.