Congenital Cardiology Glossary
100 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
Palliation
Surgical or interventional procedures that improve symptoms and quality of life without providing a complete anatomical cure.
Aortic Override
A condition where the aortic root is positioned over both ventricles rather than arising solely from the left ventricle.
Aortic Stenosis
A congenital heart defect involving narrowing of the aortic valve or surrounding structures, restricting blood flow from...
Aortopulmonary Collateral
Abnormal vessel connecting aorta to pulmonary circulation, providing alternative blood flow pathway.
Aortopulmonary Collaterals
Abnormal blood vessels that develop between the systemic and pulmonary circulations, commonly seen in complex congenital...
Aortopulmonary Window
A rare congenital heart defect characterized by an abnormal communication between the ascending aorta and main pulmonary...
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
A genetic cardiomyopathy characterized by progressive replacement of right ventricular myocardium with fibrous and adipo...
Arterial Switch Operation
A surgical procedure to correct transposition of the great arteries by switching the positions of the aorta and pulmonar...
Atrial Septal Defect
A congenital heart defect involving an abnormal opening in the wall between the heart's two upper chambers.
Atrioventricular Septal Defect
A congenital heart defect involving abnormalities of the atrioventricular valves and septal structures, creating communi...
Atrioventricular Valve Regurgitation
Backward flow through the tricuspid or mitral valve, common in congenital heart disease.
Balloon Angioplasty
A catheter-based interventional procedure using an inflatable balloon to dilate narrowed blood vessels or cardiac struct...
Balloon Atrial Septoplasty
A catheter-based procedure to enlarge a restrictive atrial septal communication using balloon dilation.
Balloon Atrial Septostomy
An emergency catheter-based procedure to create or enlarge an atrial septal defect for palliative mixing of blood.
Balloon Septostomy
An interventional procedure using a balloon catheter to create or enlarge an opening in the atrial septum.
Balloon Valvuloplasty
A minimally invasive catheter-based procedure to widen narrowed heart valves using an inflatable balloon.
Bidirectional Glenn Shunt
A staged surgical procedure that connects the superior vena cava directly to the pulmonary arteries as preparation for F...
Blalock-Taussig Shunt
A surgical shunt connecting a systemic artery to a pulmonary artery to increase pulmonary blood flow in cyanotic heart d...
Cardiac Catheterization
Invasive diagnostic procedure using catheters to evaluate heart structure and function.
Cardiac Catheterization Report
A detailed clinical document summarizing findings from invasive cardiac catheterization procedures in congenital heart d...
Cardiac MRI
Advanced cardiac imaging using magnetic resonance technology to assess cardiac structure, function, and blood flow patte...
Cardiac Output
The volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute, calculated as stroke volume multiplied by heart rate.
Cardiac Transplantation
Surgical replacement of a failing heart with a healthy donor heart, representing the final treatment option for end-stag...
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing
A comprehensive evaluation combining exercise stress testing with respiratory gas analysis to assess functional capacity...
Cardiothoracic Ratio
A measurement on chest radiographs comparing the maximum cardiac width to the maximum thoracic width, used to assess car...