Cardiovascular Surgery Glossary

Adverse reaction to protamine sulfate used to reverse heparin anticoagulation in cardiac surgery.

False aneurysm formed by contained rupture where blood is held by surrounding tissue rather than intact vessel walls.

Invasive monitoring device inserted through central veins to measure cardiac output and pulmonary pressures.

Surgical procedure replacing a diseased pulmonary valve with a prosthetic valve or conduit.

Cellular damage that occurs when blood supply returns to tissue after a period of ischemia.

Surgical reopening of a previously divided sternum, typically for cardiac reoperations or management of complications.

Method of delivering cardioplegic solution through the coronary sinus, flowing backward through coronary veins.

Surgical creation or repair of the pathway from right ventricle to pulmonary artery.

A cardiac surgical technique where the patient's pulmonary valve replaces a diseased aortic valve, and a donor pulmonary...

Right ventricular outflow tract, the pathway from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery through the pulmonary valv...

Minimally invasive technique for obtaining saphenous vein grafts using endoscopic equipment through small incisions rath...

A segment of saphenous vein harvested from the leg and used as a conduit for coronary artery bypass surgery.

Grafting technique using one conduit to bypass multiple coronary vessels through side-to-side and end-to-side connection...

Separation or breakdown of sternal closure following median sternotomy, requiring surgical revision.

Surgical incision through the sternum to access the heart and mediastinal structures.

Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk prediction model used to estimate mortality and morbidity for cardiac surgical procedu...

Separation or breakdown of a surgical suture line, potentially causing bleeding or structural failure.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement, a minimally invasive procedure to replace the aortic valve without open surgery.

Transesophageal echocardiography; ultrasound imaging from within the esophagus providing detailed cardiac visualization...

Surgical incision through the chest wall to access thoracic structures, alternative to median sternotomy for cardiac pro...

A patch that extends across the pulmonary valve annulus to relieve right ventricular outflow tract obstruction.

Surgical repair technique using a ring or sutures to reduce tricuspid valve annular dilatation.

Ventricular assist device providing mechanical circulatory support for patients with severe heart failure.

Surgical division of fused valve commissures to improve valve function and blood flow.