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Surgical Approach

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Surgical approaches for improving the blood supply to the heart muscle include:

angioplasty
coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG)

Sometimes arteries become narrow again (referred to as restenosis) 6 months or more after angioplasty or CABG, and repeated procedures may be needed to reopen the vessels.

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Glossary

Glossary entries within this article:

Angioplasty
- Procedure used to widen narrow arteries by means of a deflated balloon at the end of a catheter.
Aorta
- The chief artery that receives blood from the left ventricle of the heart and causes it to flow to the body.
Artery
- A vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. It generally carries blood which is rich in oxygen. The exception in mammals is the pulmonary artery which takes deoxygenated blood to the lungs.
Balloon catheter
- This is used to dilate a narrow structure (see also angioplasty).
Blood pressure
- Pressure which is exerted by the heart when it pumps blood.
CAD (coronary artery disease)
- Condition in which deposits of fat or plaques build up in the cells lining the wall of a coronary artery, thus obstructing the flow of blood.
Collateral circulation
- Network of small arteries which are normally closed. If the coronary artery is blocked, they may open up in order to take blood to the heart.
Coronary angiogram
- A test to indicate where the arteries are constricted and how narrow they have become.
Coronary
- Relating to the heart or one of the two arteries which originate in the aorta and supply blood directly to the heart tissue.
Graft
- Transplanted organ or tissue.
Congestive Heart Failure
- Condition in which the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to meet the requirements of the other organs in the body.
Heart-lung machine
- (cardiopulmonary bypass) Instrument which oxygenates and pumps blood during open-heart surgery.
Ischemic heart disease
- Disorder caused by insufficient blood supply due to a constriction of coronary arteries.
Pulmonary artery
- Artery which takes blood from the heart to the lungs.

In the glossary you will find terms that we have provided with some extra-information.

Glossary

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