Glossary

Artificial construction made of pericardial or synthetic material, used in the atrial switch (Senning or Mustard operation in TGA) to redirect the blood flow from the caval veins to the left atrium, and from the pulmonary vein to the right ventricle

Atrioseptostomy, Rashkind procedure/manoeuvre

Hollow plastic tubular surgical instrument (catheter) the tip of which has a balloon of differing lengths attached to it. Used mainly to dilate narrow sections of vessels or valves (balloon dilation)

Procedure to dilate narrow sections of vessels or valves during cardiac catheterisation using an inflatable balloon

Operation in which the trunk of the pulmonary artery is bound with Teflon band to keep high blood pressure from the pulmonary vessels and prevent vascular malformation

Drug that affects heart rate, speed of the conductive system of the heart and  contraction strength of the heart muscle

Malformation of the aortic valve, two instead of three valve flaps are present

Prosthetic heart valve made from tissue taken from animal or human cadavers

Prosthesis made from tissue taken from animal or human cadavers (e.g. pig valve)

Pertaining to or affecting both ventricles of the heart

Mass of coagulated blood

(RR) the pressure of blood against the walls of the blood vessels, dependent on the energy of the heart action and vascular resistance. Expressed as e.g. RR = 120 / 80 mm HG (= systolic / diastolic value)

Slow heart rate (resting heart rate under 60 beats per minute in adults)

Part of the cardiac conduction system. In the ventricular septum the bundle of His divides into right and left branches, which in turn divide into smaller branches (Purkinje fibres). They transmit the electrical impulses to the muscle cells of the cardiac chambers

Right or left bundle branch block (RBBB/LBBB), blockage of the right or left branch of the conduction system. Normal ventricular activation is disturbed (recognisable on ECG). Complete RBBB is usually a complication of cardiac surgery. LBBB usually indicates significant cardiac damage

Part of the conductive system of the heart. A bundle of specialised muscle fibres that transmits the electrical impulses from the AV node to the ventricles. Branches at the septum to become the left and right bundle branches