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Cardiac Procedures

The following procedures are often used in the evaluation and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Consult your physician or heart care professional for more specific information.

Cardiac procedures for abnormal heart rhythms:

Catheter Ablation
This procedure uses radio waves or freezing to silence an abnormal area in the heart's electrical system, which is usually found during an electrophysiology study.

Permanent Pacemaker
A permanent pacemaker is inserted into the patient's heart and upper chest to provide a reliable heartbeat when the heart's own rhythm is too fast, too slow, or irregular. A permanent pacemaker is usually inserted while the patient is in the electrophysiology lab.

Internal Cardioverter Defibrillator
A defibrillator is inserted into the patient's heart and chest to send out a small amount of electricity when needed to jolt heart rhythm back to normal.

Cardiac procedures for heart disease:

Coronary Angioplasty
With this procedure, a catheter is used to create a bigger opening in the vessel to increase blood flow. Although angioplasty is performed in other blood vessels, Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) refers to angioplasty in the coronary arteries to permit more blood flow into the heart. There are several types of PTCA procedures, including:

• balloon angioplasty - a small balloon is inflated inside the blocked artery to open the blocked area.
  
  
• atherectomy - the blocked area inside the artery is "shaved" away by a tiny device on the end of a catheter.
  
  
• laser angioplasty - a laser used to "vaporize" the blockage in the artery.
  
  
• coronary artery stent - a tiny coil is expanded inside the blocked artery to open the blocked area and is left in place to keep the artery open.

Coronary Artery Bypass
A surgical procedure in which small portions of veins or arteries are taken from one part of the body and transplanted into the heart to bypass clogged coronary arteries of the heart.

Heart Transplant
A surgical procedure for selected patients whose hearts are so severely damaged that medications, procedures, and surgical repair cannot help. A donated heart is transplanted into the patient to replace the damaged heart.

Cardiac procedures for valve disease:

Valvuloplasty
A procedure in which a catheter with a large balloon is used to open a heart valve that has become narrowed usually as the result of scarring. The catheter is guided through the aorta to the valve, and once in place within the leaflets, the balloon is inflated until the leaflets are loosened. The balloon is then deflated and withdrawn from the body.

Valve Repair
A surgical procedure in which a damaged valve is repaired by loosening stiff valve leaflets or tightening loose valve leaflets.

Valve Replacement
In this surgical procedure, a mechanical or tissue valve is transplanted into the heart to replace the damaged valve.