Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital Glossary
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3D Computerized imaging (also called spiral or helical scanning): Three-dimensional (3D) computerized imaging, or 3D scanning, is an advanced form of CT scanning. In 3D computerized imaging, the x-rays rotate around the patient in an arc pattern as the scanning table moves continuously in one direction. A computer creates 3D images from the data produced by the scans.
A
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA): An enlarged part of a weak area in the abdominal aorta. The pressure from blood flow can make the weakened area bulge like a balloon until it bursts.
Ablation: A procedure that uses catheters to deliver extremely cold temperature, radiofrequency energy, or substances such as alcohol to destroy tissue.
Account number: A unique number that is assigned to you each time you visit the hospital.
Acute myocardial infarction: Also known as heart attack. Damage to the heart muscle that results from a prolonged lack of blood flow to the heart.
Adjustment: A portion of your hospital bill that is adjusted in accordance to the contract between Baylor and your insurance company.
Amount not covered: The bill amount that the insurance company will not pay. It may include deductibles, coinsurances, and charges for non-covered services. For example, a non-covered charge could be food trays for visitors, personal grooming supplies, take-home supplies, and private rooms.
Amount payable by plan: The amount your insurance plan pays or covers for your treatment, less any deductibles, coinsurance, or charges for non-covered services.
Anesthesia: Medication that reduces feeling, such as pain. General anesthesia produces a sleep-like state; regional anesthesia numbs a specific body region; and local anesthesia numbs a small area of the body, such as the skin above a blood vessel.
Aneurysm: An enlarged part of a weak area of an artery; the pressure from blood flow can make the weakened area bulge like a balloon until it bursts.
Angina pectoris: Chest pain caused by ischemia (lack of oxygen-rich blood flow to organs or tissue).
Angioplasty and stenting: The full name for an angioplasty procedure is percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PCTA). Percutaneous means that a small incision is made in the skin to access an artery. Transluminal means the procedure is done through the lumen, or the opening inside a blood vessel. Angioplasty has two parts. Angio means blood or a blood vessel and plasty means to mold or to reshape. During angioplasty, a tiny balloon is placed inside an artery through catheters and inflated to crack and compress plaque buildup, expand the inside of the blood vessel, and increase blood flow. Stents are slender metal-mesh tubes that are mounted on the outside of the balloon. When the balloon is inflated, the stents expand inside a blood vessel to provide support and keep blood vessels wide open.
Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors: Medication used to treat hypertension. These medications lower blood pressure by inhibiting the formation of substances in the kidneys (angiotensin II and aldosterone) that naturally constrict blood vessels.
Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs): Used for hypertension. These act similarly to ACE inhibitors.
Antiarrhythmics: Used for arrhythmia. Medications that prevent arrhythmias by slowing the conduction of nerve impulses through heart tissue or lengthening the shortest time possible between two connective heart beats.
Anticoagulants: Used in angina, atrial fibrillation, cardiomyopathy, heart attack, peripheral arterial disease, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension, clot, valve disease, and venous disease. Medications that help prevent existing blood clots from growing larger and the formation of new blood clots by increasing the amount of time it takes a blood clot to form.
Antihypertensives: Used to treat high blood pressure. There are many types of antihypertensives, and they work in different ways. For example, diuretics stimulate the kidneys to remove water and sodium from the body, thereby decreasing the total volume of blood that the heart has to pump. The goal of antihypertensives is to keep your blood pressure within normal ranges.
Antiplatelets: Used for angina, heart attack, peripheral arterial disease, pulmonary embolism, and valve disease, and after angioplasty and stenting and coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Antiplatelets are medications that block the ability of platelets to stick together so that blood clots are less likely to form.
Aorta: The body's largest artery. The aorta carries blood away from the heart and runs from the heart through the chest (thoracic) and abdomen, branching off into important organs before dividing into iliac arteries that go through each leg.
Aortic arch: The curved portion of the aorta that carries oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to the body.
Aortic arch conditions: Aortic arch conditions are defects in the structure of the arteries that branch off the aorta. These defects can reduce blood flow to vital organs.
Aortoiliac: The aortoiliac is the junction where the aorta and iliac arteries meet. This is located in the abdomen where the iliacs supply blood to the legs.
Aortoiliac occlusive disease: Aortoiliac occlusive disease is the narrowing or blockage of the main arteries in the pelvis, which supply blood to the legs. It is a type of peripheral arterial disease.
Arm artery disease: Partial or complete blockage of circulation through the arteries of the arm caused by atherosclerosis. It is a type of peripheral arterial disease.
Arrhythmia: A disturbance in the rate or rhythm of the heart.
Arteriography/Angiography: An arteriogram uses x-rays to view the anatomy of the body's arteries. This test is used to evaluate narrow, blocked, enlarged, or malformed arteries in many parts of the body, including those in and around the brain, heart, abdomen, and legs. A physician trained in arteriography, such as an interventional radiologist, vascular surgeon, or cardiologist, performs the test. The test is also used during an interventional procedure. When this test is used to show pictures of the veins it is called venography.
Artery: A blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart
Atherosclerosis: A type of arteriosclerosis. The process of plaque, made up of cholesterol or lipids (fats), calcium, and fibrous scar tissue, accumulating in the arteries. Over time, these plaque deposits continue to grow on the inside of artery walls as cholesterol circulates in the blood, narrowing and stiffening the arteries.
Atria: The two upper chambers of the heart responsible for moving blood to the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles). The right atrium receives blood from the veins in the body and transports blood to the right ventricle, and the left atrium receives blood from the lungs and transports it to the left ventricle.
Atrial fibrillation: A condition in which the electrical signal that normally causes the atria to contract in an organized fashion circles through the muscles of the atria in an uncoordinated manner.
Atrioventricular (AV) node: The cluster of cells responsible for regulating electrical impulses that begin in the sinus node. These cells lie between the atria and the ventricles.
B
Beta-blockers: Used for hypertension and arrhythmias. These drugs block receptor cells that release epinephrine and norepinephrine, agents that stimulate the heartbeat and cause constriction of arteries.
Bile acid sequestrants: Used for high cholesterol and lipid disorders. A certain amount of cholesterol in bile, the liquid secreted by the small intestine to digest fats, is reabsorbed into the body. Bile acid sequestrants, also called resins, block that process so that LDL (bad cholesterol) levels fall.
Biopsy: The process by which a physician removes, examines, and analyzes a tissue sample.
Biventricular pacemaker: A pacemaker that paces both the left and right ventricles to resynchronize the heartbeat in patients with heart failure.
C
Calcium channel blockers: Used for hypertension. Calcium channel blockers cause blood vessels to dilate, thereby lowering blood pressure.
Cardiac catheterization and angiography: A test used to determine the extent of blockage in the coronary arteries. The test involves the insertion of a catheter into an artery. The physician advances the catheter through the arterial system to the arteries in the heart. Once the catheter reaches the heart, the physician can use it to collect information about the heart's blood supply or to assess or treat other cardiac problems. Angiography is an x-ray image of the heart's arteries, specifically the lumen, or interior diameter of the blood vessel. To create these images, the physician injects a contrast dye into the catheter. Because the dye is radiopaque, meaning x-rays cannot penetrate it, this dye highlights blood vessels on an x-ray. Using the pictures from the angiography, called angiograms or arteriograms, the physician can pinpoint the location and extent of problems with the heart's blood supply and determine the appropriate treatment for the patient's coronary heart disease.
Cardiac rehabilitation: Program involving a medical evaluation, supervised exercise, education about cardiovascular risk factors, psychosocial counseling, and support groups, designed to help patients recover from cardiovascular events and to prevent future cardiovascular events.
Cardiac surgeon: A surgeon who has specialized in performing surgical procedures of the heart.
Cardiologist: A physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating medical problems of the heart and related blood vessels.
Carotid arteries: The arteries located on either side of the neck that supply blood flow to the brain.
Carotid artery disease: The narrowing or blockage of arteries in the neck that supply blood flow to the brain.
Carotid endarterectomy: Carotid endarterectomy removes plaque that causes the narrowing of a carotid artery by removing the inner lining of the artery that contains the plaque. After bypassing the blood in the carotid artery, the artery is opened and the lining and the plaque it contains is removed. Endarterectomy is also performed in the coronary arteries and occasionally in other arteries in the body.
Catheter: A long, thin, flexible tube that can be inserted in blood vessels and guided to a specific area of the body to administer treatment, such as medications or tiny devices attached to the catheter.
Cholesterol absorption inhibitors: Used for lipid disorders. The only currently FDA-approved agent of this type is ezetimibe (Zetia). This drug is most commonly used with statin agents to further reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol.
COBRA insurance: Health insurance coverage that you can purchase when you are no longer employed or awaiting coverage from a new insurance plan to begin. Coverage may be purchased for up to 18 months from your date of separation. It is generally more expensive than insurance provided through the employer but less expensive than insurance purchased as an individual policy.
Coinsurance: The percentage of coverage not covered under your insurance benefits. For example, your policy may cover 80% of charges. Your coinsurance/patient portion would be the remaining 20%.
Computed tomography (CT) scans: A computed tomography (CT) scan, also known as a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan, is a painless diagnostic imaging test that displays two-dimensional images of internal structures of the body on a computer screen.
Congestive heart failure: Known also as heart failure. A condition in which the heart is not strong enough to pump an adequate amount of blood to meet the body's needs, often causing the heart to enlarge. Commonly accompanied by pulmonary congestion, in which blood backs up into the lungs.
Contrast: A dye-like material that is used to highlight the blood vessels during imaging tests such as arteriography and sometimes CT scan. The material is radiopaque, meaning that x-rays cannot pass through it.
Co-payment/Co-pay: A set fee established by the insurance company for a specific type of visit. This amount is due from the guarantor. This information can routinely be located on the insurance card and will be different amounts according to the type of visit. For example, Emergency Room Visit - $50, Inpatient Stay - $100, Physician Office Visit - $20.
Coronary arteries: The arteries that carry oxygenated blood to the heart muscle.
Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery: CABG is performed to restore blood flow to the heart by bypassing coronary (heart) arteries that have been narrowed or blocked by atherosclerosis. This procedure restores an adequate supply of oxygenated blood to the heart, thus allowing it to work more effectively and efficiently.
Coumadin (Warfarin): An anticoagulant that inhibits clotting factors in the blood.
Cyanosis: Insufficient oxygen in the blood that causes a bluish color in the skin.
D
Date of service (DOS): The date(s) when you were provided healthcare services. For an inpatient stay, the dates of service will be the date of your admission through your discharge date. For outpatient services, the date of service will be the date of your visit.
Deductible: An amount that must be met on an annual basis that is established by the insurance company and your benefit plan. Call your insurance company for the most up-to-date information regarding your deductible.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): DVT is a blood clot (thrombus) in one of the primary deep veins that returns blood from a lower extremity to your heart and lungs. DVT occurs when normal blood clotting is disrupted by trauma or injury, restricted mobility, cancer, major surgery, or a clotting disorder.
Diabetes mellitus: A condition in which blood glucose (sugar) levels are too high because the body cannot produce insulin or cannot use insulin efficiently.
Dietitian: A specialist trained in food and nutrition. Dietitians provide information and education on heart-healthy eating habits and can help patients plan a diet program for heart-healthy meals.
Digitalis: Used for arrhythmias, congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and valve disease. A medication that regulates the heart's rate and rhythm by slowing the transmission of electrical impulses from the atria to the ventricles.
Diuretics: Used for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and pulmonary hypertension. Diuretics stimulate the kidneys to remove water and sodium from the body, thereby decreasing the total volume of blood that the heart has to pump.
Dyspnea: Shortness of breath.
Duplex ultrasound: Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of internal structures of the body. Duplex ultrasound combines conventional ultrasound and Doppler technology to show images of blood vessel structures through which blood is flowing and to measure the speed of the blood flow. The images made with duplex ultrasound can be color coded so that physicians can see areas where blood flow is severely blocked. Physicians use duplex ultrasound to diagnose and examine diseases that affect the blood vessels, such as deep vein thrombosis, peripheral artery disease, varicose veins, and aneurysms. Duplex ultrasound can be combined with other diagnostic tests. Physicians also use ultrasound to prepare for and evaluate the effectiveness of surgical or minimally invasive procedures, such as surgical bypass and angioplasty and stenting.
E
Echocardiography (echo): Echocardiography uses high-frequency sound waves called ultrasound to produce images of the heart on a monitor. An echocardiogram is a real-time moving image of the heart recorded on videotape or computer disk for analysis. Physicians can use echoes to:
- Observe the structure of the heart;
- Determine the size and shape of the four heart chambers;
- Observe blood flow through the heart;
- Observe the performance of the heart valves;
- Observe the pumping strength of the heart and how well it relaxes between beats; and
- Measure the blood pressure in the lungs.
Electrocardiography (ECG/EKG): A test in which electrical signals from each heartbeat are transmitted from electrodes attached to your skin to a machine that creates a graph of the rhythm and rate of the heartbeat. ECG is usually the initial test physicians use to evaluate your heart and diagnose heart conditions, including arrhythmias, chest pain, myocardial infarction, structural heart problems, and metabolic or hemodynamic changes. In addition to diagnosing heart problems, ECG is also used to measure your response to therapy, to monitor the performance of an implanted pacemaker and to assess your heart before surgery.
Electrophysiology: A specialty that focuses on the study of the heart's electrical function.
Electrophysiologist: A cardiologist who has specialized in diagnosing and treating problems with the heart's electrical functions.
Electrophysiology (EP) testing: An examination of your heart's electrical function from inside the heart itself using small catheters.
Embolus: An abnormal particle (such as a blood clot or piece of plaque) that travels through your blood vessels
Endocardium: The membrane inside your heart's chambers and valves.
Endovascular stent graft: A treatment for aneurysms. Surgeons implant a tube made of synthetic fabric (called a stent graft) by inserting a catheter into the aorta from the femoral artery in the groin area and threading the stent graft to the area of the aneurysm. The catheter is removed, leaving the graft in place. The graft expands against the walls of the artery. The graft provides a safe chamber through which blood can move freely without affecting the aneurysm.
Endovascular: Literally meaning inside the blood vessels; endovascular procedures are performed using catheters and devices inserted through a small incision in a blood vessel and advanced through the vessels using fluoroscopy for guidance. Endovascular procedures are considered minimally invasive, meaning that no large incisions are needed. In general, endovascular procedures do not require general anesthesia and result in faster recovery times and fewer complications than conventional surgery.
Endovenous laser treatment (EVLT): A minimally invasive treatment and alternative to vein stripping that uses lasers to destroy varicose veins. Radiofrequency energy is also used to destroy varicose veins.
Environmental services: The staff who maintains and cleans the hospital facility.
Explanation of benefits (EOB): This is a notice you receive from your insurance company after your claim for healthcare services has been processed. It explains the amounts billed, paid, denied, discounted, uncovered, and the amount owed by the patient. The EOB may also communicate information needed by the insured in order to process the claim.
F
Femoral artery: The main artery in each leg. The femoral artery is an extension of each iliac artery and begins at the groin. Endovascular surgeons often use the femoral artery as an access point to insert catheters.
Fibrates: Used for high cholesterol and lipid disorders. Fibrates lower cholesterol and triglycerides, although it is unclear how they work.
Fluoroscopy: A type of x-ray performed during a procedure that allows the surgeon to see moving images of the internal anatomy on a video screen. In endovascular procedures, fluoroscopy helps the physician guide the catheter through the patient's blood vessels.
G
Guarantor: The person responsible for payment of the bill.
H
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO): An insurance plan that has contracted with providers to provide healthcare services at a discounted rate. These services will require prior pre-certification, authorization, and/or referrals.
Heart: The heart is a muscular pump divided into four chambers. Two chambers, called the left and right ventricles, perform most of the heart's pumping action and are located on the bottom part of the heart. The other chambers, the left atrium and right atrium, are located on the upper part of the heart. The right atrium receives blood from the veins in the body and transports blood to the right ventricle, and the left atrium receives blood from the lungs and transports it to the left ventricle. The right ventricle is responsible for moving blood to the lungs, while the left ventricle moves blood to the rest of the body.
Heart attack: Also known as acute myocardial infarction or AMI. Damage to the heart muscle that results from a prolonged lack of blood flow to the heart.
Heart Failure: Known also as congestive heart failure. A condition in which the heart is not strong enough to pump an adequate amount of blood to meet the body's needs, often causing the heart to enlarge. Commonly accompanied by pulmonary congestion, in which blood backs up into the lungs.
Heparin: An anticoagulant that inhibits thrombin, an enzyme in blood that is crucial in clotting.
Hepatic: Relating to the liver; for example, the hepatic artery supplies blood to the liver
High blood pressure (hypertension): Hypertension is elevated blood pressure that is consistently above normal ranges. If left untreated, it can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, aortic dissection (tearing of the aorta in the chest), and blindness. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) as two numbers, written like a fraction. Systolic blood pressure, the top number, is the maximum pressure expressed during systole, the contraction of the left ventricle of the heart. The bottom number, "diastolic" blood pressure, is the lowest pressure within the arteries that occurs during diastole, the brief resting period between heart beats.
High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia): Increased levels of total cholesterol in the blood.
High density lipoproteins (HDL): Known as the "good" cholesterol. A type of lipoprotein, HDL picks up excess cholesterol particles from the blood and carries the cholesterol to the liver where it is broken down and removed from the body.
Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol): Increased levels of total cholesterol in the blood.
Hyperlipidemia: High concentrations of lipids in the bloodstream. Lipids include LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Hypertension (high blood pressure): Hypertension is elevated blood pressure that is consistently above normal ranges. If left untreated, it can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, aortic dissection (tearing of the aorta in the chest), and blindness. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) as two numbers, written like a fraction. Systolic blood pressure, the top number, is the maximum pressure expressed during systole, the contraction of the left ventricle of the heart. The bottom number, "diastolic" blood pressure, is the lowest pressure within the arteries that occurs during diastole, the brief resting period between heart beats.
I
Iliac arteries: Iliac arteries branch from the femoral at the pelvis (which branches from the aorta) and go into the legs. Iliac arteries then branch into numerous smaller arteries all the way down to the toes.
Intermittent claudication (IC): The most common symptom of leg artery disease. Pain occurs in one or both legs and starts or stops (intermittent) periodically. Usually occurs during physical activity, such as walking.
Interventional cardiology: A branch of cardiology in which cardiologists perform minimally invasive procedures through catheters (thin, flexible tubes) to treat problems of the heart.
Interventional radiologist: A physician that has training in performing minimally invasive procedures that use radiology images. The images provide a "road map" for the physician to perform procedures inside the body using catheters (thin, flexible tubes) with tiny devices inserted through them. Some common procedures include angioplasty and stenting and angiography.
Ischemia: Reduced blood that prevents tissues from getting enough oxygen. For example, critical limb ischemia occurs when narrowed blood vessels prevent the leg from receiving adequate oxygen at rest, resulting in limb pain.
J
Jugular vein: A large vein in the neck that is sometimes used as an access point to insert a catheter.
L
Leg artery disease: Partial or complete blockage of circulation through the arteries of the leg caused by atherosclerosis.
Lipid disorders: A group of disorders characterized by an excess of fatty substances, such as cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoproteins present in the blood. Lipid disorders include primary elevated cholesterol, dyslipidemic syndrome, primary elevated triglycerides, and primary low-HDL syndromes. Lipid disorders increase a person's risk for developing congestive heart disease.
Low density lipoproteins (LDL): Known as the "bad" cholesterol. LDL picks up excess cholesterol particles from the blood and deposits cholesterol in the body's cells and tissues.
Lumen: The hollow area of a tube, especially arteries.
Lymph nodes: The lymph nodes produce white blood cells and filter bacteria and cancer cells that may travel through the system. The lymphatic system consists of lymph vessels and lymph nodes that run throughout the body. Lymph vessels collect a fluid consisting of protein, water, fats, cells and cell residues, and foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses from the cells of the body. The vessels transport this fluid to lymph nodes, which filter waste materials and foreign products and return the fluid to the blood system.
M
Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA): Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is a form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI uses radio waves and magnetic fields to show tissues and structures inside the body, such as blood vessels. However, only MRA can also show blood flow. MRA can reveal abnormalities in the blood vessels, such as narrowing (called stenosis), occlusions (blockages), and aneurysms. MRA can be used to diagnose aortic aneurysms, renal artery disease, congenital heart disease, vasculitis (inflammation of large blood vessels), leg and arm artery diseases, and carotid artery disease.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): MRI works by using a large magnetic field, pulses of radio waves, and a computer to produce clear images of the heart's chambers and the body's important arteries and veins.
Managed care: An insurance plan that has a contract agreement with hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers.
Medicaid: A state administered, federal and state-funded insurance plan for low-income families who have limited or no insurance.
Medicare: A health insurance program for people age 65 and older, some people with disabilities under age 65, and people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). For questions concerning the Medicare program, call the Social Security Administration toll-free at 1-800-772-1213, or call your local Social Security office.
Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance): Healthcare coverage for inpatient stays at participating hospitals.
Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance): Healthcare coverage for doctors' services, outpatient hospital care, and some other medical services that Part A does not cover, such as the services of physical and occupational therapists, and some home health care.
Medigap: Medicare supplemental insurance available by private insurance companies that pays for some services not covered by Medicare A or B, including deductible and coinsurance amounts.
Metabolic syndrome: A cluster of risk factors, including abdominal obesity, abnormal cholesterol levels, elevated blood pressure, and elevated blood sugar.
Myocardial ischemia: Deficiency of oxygen-carrying blood in an area of heart tissue due to blockage of the coronary arteries. Myocardial ischemia can cause angina (chest pain), which is painful. However, ischemia can also be painless—known as silent ischemia. Without intervention, myocardial ischemia can lead to a heart attack.
Myocardium: The thick layer of heart muscle.
N
Niacin, or nicotinic acid (Vitamin B3): Used for high cholesterol and lipid disorders. Niacin appears to slow the breakdown of triglycerides in the liver, in turn preventing fat storage and decreasing LDL (bad) choesterol.
Non-covered services: Services not covered under the patient's insurance plan. These charges are the patient's responsibility to pay.
Nuclear stress testing (myocardial perfusion scan): During a nuclear stress test, a small dose of a harmless radioactive isotope is injected into the bloodstream. The radioisotope, or tracer, is carried through the bloodstream and into the myocardium, or heart muscle. A special camera senses the radioactivity of the tracer and constructs an image of the heart while the person exercises. Parts of the heart muscle that receive normal blood flow receive larger amounts of tracer and appear brighter than areas that have inadequate blood flow. Because exercise increases the coronary blood flow by 3 to 4 times the amount of blood the heart needs at rest, the physician can use a nuclear stress test to see how well the coronary arteries deliver blood to the heart muscle. The test is used to assess the presence and extent of myocardial ischemia, the risk of heart attack, the damage caused by an earlier heart attack, the success of angioplasty or coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
Nurse Practitioner: A specially trained nurse with advanced education in diagnosis and management of complex conditions. A Nurse Practitioner usually cannot prescribe medications.
Nutritionist: A specialist trained in food and nutrition. Nutritionists provide information and education on heart-healthy eating habits and can help patients plan a diet program for heart-healthy meals.
O
Occlusion: Narrowing of an artery by plaque
Out-of-network provider/non-participating provider: The provider is not part of the insurance plan's network of contracted providers. Generally, services at out-of-network providers are paid for at a lower rate by the insurance plan and at a higher rate by you.
Out-of-pocket costs: The amount that you pay until your benefit coverage reaches 100%.
P
Palpitation: Awareness of one's own heartbeat.
Patent foramen ovale (PFO): A condition in which a small flap-like opening in the atrial septum, the muscular wall that separates the two upper heart chambers, fails to seal after birth.
Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PCTA): Also known as angioplasty and stenting. Percutaneous means that a small incision is made in the skin to access an artery. Transluminal means the procedure is done through the lumen, or the opening inside a blood vessel. Angioplasty has two parts. Angio means blood or a blood vessel and plasty means to mold or to reshape. During angioplasty, a tiny balloon is placed inside an artery through catheters and inflated to crack and compress plaque buildup, expand the inside of the blood vessel, and increase blood flow. Stents are slender metal-mesh tubes that are mounted on the outside of the balloon. When the balloon is inflated, the stents expand inside a blood vessel to provide support and keep blood vessels wide open.
Pericardium: The sac that surrounds the heart.
Peripheral artery disease: A circulation disorder in which arteries carrying blood to the arms and legs become narrowed or clogged.
Physician Assistant (PA): A trained and licensed specialist that performs medical services and can diagnose and treat medical conditions under the supervision of a physician. Unlike Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants can prescribe medication. Physician Assistants can be registered (RPA) and/or certified (RPA-C; PA-C).
Plaque: The buildup of cholesterol or lipids, calcium, and fibrous tissue on arterial walls; develops into atherosclerosis.
Point-of-service plans: An insurance plan that allows you to choose doctors and hospitals without first having to get a referral from your primary care physician.
Pre-authorization number: Authorization given by a health plan for a member to obtain services from a healthcare provider. This is commonly required for hospital services.
Pre-certification number: A number obtained from your insurance company by doctors and hospitals. This number will represent the agreement by the insurance plan that the service has been approved. This is not a guarantee of payment.
Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO): An insurance plan that has a contract with providers to provide healthcare services at a discounted rate. These services may require prior pre-certification, authorization, and/or referrals.
Pulmonary: Pertaining to the lungs and respiratory system.
Pulmonary embolism: A potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when a clot in the leg dislodges and travels to the heart and lungs.
Pulmonary hypertension: High blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries.
Pulse volume recording: A test used to measure volume of blood flow through various points on the leg using an arm pressure cuff and Doppler transducer.
R
Radiofrequency ablation: Ablation is the destruction of heart tissue that is causing an arrhythmia, a disturbance in the heart's rate or rhythm using radiofrequency, microwave, cold, or laser energy.
Radiologist: A physician who has special training in conducting and interpreting imaging studies, such as a CT scans or ultrasounds, that are used to view the inside of your body and heart.
Referral: Approval or consent by a primary care doctor for a patient to see a certain specialist or receive certain services.
Regurgitation: The backward flow of blood caused by a faulty valve.
Renal or reno- : Relating to the kidneys; for example, renal failure means failure of the kidneys.
Revascularization: The restoration of adequate blood flow to the heart or other parts of the body.
S
Sclerotherapy: Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat diseased or cosmetically undesirable surface veins (varicose veins). The physician injects a liquid called a sclerosing (hardening) solution into a diseased vein, which causes an inflammatory reaction on the walls of the vein. As a result, the vein closes, blood reroutes to healthy veins, and the diseased vein eventually disappears.
Septum: The muscular wall that separates the heart chambers.
Shunt: An alternate pathway for blood flow.
Sinoatrial (sinus) node: Cells that create the electrical impulses that begin each heartbeat.
Sleep apnea: A condition in which people experience multiple episodes of apnea (stop breathing repeatedly, usually for at least 10 seconds) during sleep, which disturbs the sleep-wake cycle; a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Statins: Used for high cholesterol and lipid disorders. Statins work by blocking the ability of the liver to manufacture cholesterol.
Stenosis: Narrowing, especially of an artery because of atherosclerosis or from a congenital heart defect, as in aortic stenosis.
Subscriber: The person responsible for payment of premiums or whose employment is the basis for eligibility for a health plan membership.
Surgical aneurysm repair: Repairs an aneurysm by opening the abdomen and replacing the weakened area of aorta with a fabric tube made of synthetic material.
Surgical bypass: Surgical bypass is performed to improve blood flow in a diseased artery by creating a detour (or bypass) around a section of the artery that is blocked.
Syncope: Fainting.
T
Thoracic aneurysm: A section of the aorta in the chest that develops an aneurysm.
Thrombus: A blood clot that forms inside a blood vessel and remains attached to the place it originated.
Tilt table testing: A test in which a patient lies on a table that moves from a flat position parallel to the floor to an upright position nearly perpendicular to the floor to determine the cause of syncope.
Triglyceride: The most common fatty substance found in the blood that is normally stored as an energy source in fat tissue. High levels of triglycerides can contribute to heart disease.
U
Ultrasound: Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of internal structures of the body.
V
Valve: Flaps between heart chambers (or in veins) that ensure that blood flows in one direction. Valves open to allow blood through and close to prevent blood from flowing backward.
Varicose veins: The word "varicose" refers to blue, bulging, twisted veins that are unnaturally and permanently distended and are visible through the skin on a person's legs. Varicose veins occur when the walls or valves in veins near the skin stretch or weaken.
Vascular medicine: A specialty that relates to the arteries and veins that carry blood through the body, with the exception of those in the heart.
Vascular surgeon: A surgeon who has specialized in treating disorders of the arteries and veins.
Vena cava: The body's largest vein, which returns deoxygenated blood to the right side of the heart. The vena cava is located next to the aorta, which is the body's largest artery.
Ventricles: The two lower chambers of the heart, which perform most of the heart's pumping action. The right ventricle is responsible for moving blood to the lungs, while the left ventricle moves blood to the rest of the body.
W
Warfarin (Coumadin): An anticoagulant that inhibits clotting factors in the blood.
X
X-ray: Electromagnetic radiation that is produced when high-speed electrons strike a solid object, such as bone; or the image produced when photographic film is exposed to x-rays.
