Medical Terminology

Medical terminology in heart surgery provides precise language for healthcare professionals. Key terms include coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), a procedure restoring blood flow around blocked arteries. Aortic valve replacement (AVR) and mitral valve repair describe interventions on heart valves. Cardiopulmonary bypass refers to a machine that temporarily takes over heart and lung functions during surgery. Myocardial infarction indicates heart tissue damage from blocked blood supply. Endarterectomy means removing plaque from arteries, while sternotomy describes opening the chest. Terms like hemodynamics and ischemia guide diagnosis and treatment, ensuring accuracy, communication, and patient safety in complex cardiac procedures.

General Heart Surgery Terms

Any surgical procedure performed on the heart or its major blood vessels.

A doctor who specialises in surgical treatment of the heart, lungs, and chest.

Surgery where the chest is opened, and the heart is directly operated on. Often involves stopping the heart and using a heart-lung machine.

A less invasive technique using small cuts and specialised instruments instead of a large chest opening.

Procedures

A common operation where blocked heart arteries are “bypassed” using a blood vessel graft (taken from the leg, chest, or arm) to restore blood flow to the heart.

Surgical procedure to fix a damaged heart valve (e.g., tightening a leaky valve).

Replacing a diseased heart valve with either a mechanical valve (made of metal/carbon) or a biological valve (made from pig, cow, or human tissue).

Surgery to repair or replace part of the aorta (the main artery from the heart), often for aneurysms (dangerous bulges).

Surgery to correct heart problems present from birth, such as holes in the heart walls.

Replacing a failing heart with a donor heart.

Devices & Support

A small device implanted under the skin that helps control abnormal heart rhythms.

A device that monitors heart rhythm and can deliver a shock if a dangerous arrhythmia occurs.

A mechanical pump implanted to help a weakened heart pump blood, sometimes used while waiting for a transplant.

A machine that takes over the job of the heart and lungs during surgery, pumping oxygen-rich blood around the body while the heart is stopped.

Includes patient-specific devices aimed at improving post-operative recovery, reducing the risk of re-hospitalisation, and supporting bone healing in the sternum. They are widely used in cardiac rehabilitation programs to enhance patient safety and comfort.

Surgical Techniques & Tools

Cutting through the breastbone to access the heart during open-heart surgery.

A cut made between the ribs to access the heart or lungs.

A solution used to stop the heart safely during surgery.

A small mesh tube placed inside an artery (often inserted without open surgery) to keep it open.

Risks & Recovery Terms

An irregular heart rhythm that may occur after surgery.

Reduced blood flow (lack of oxygen supply to the heart muscle).

When blood supply to part of the heart muscle is blocked, causing damage.

A program of exercise, education, and support to aid recovery after heart surgery.

A measurement of how much blood the left ventricle pumps out with each heartbeat—used to assess heart strength before and after surgery.