Conditions & Procedures
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21
A
An arrhythmia (ah-RITH-me-ah) is a problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm.
A heartbeat that is too fast is called tachycardia (TAK-ih-KAR-de-ah). A heartbeat that is too slow is…
In transposition of the great arteries, the two major arteries leaving the heart are connected to the wrong ventricles, the two lower chambers of the heart. The result is that blood containing oxygen from the lungs is pumped back into the lungs, while blood that lacks oxygen,…
What Are Holes in the Heart?
Holes in the heart are simple congenital (kon-JEN-ih-tal) heart defects. Congenital heart defects are problems with the heart's structure that are present at birth. These defects change the normal flow of blood through the heart.
Your heart has two…
Heart block occurs when the electrical impulses that make the heart beat do not transmit normally. Normally, these impulses travel from the heart's upper chambers, called the atria, to the lower chambers, called the ventricles, through the atrioventricular (AV) node. In heart…
C
Congenital (kon-JEN-i-tal) heart defects are problems with the heart's structure that are present at birth. These defects can involve:
The interior walls of the heart
The valves inside the heart
The arteries and veins that carry blood to the heart or out to the body…
E
Endocarditis (EN-do-kar-DI-tis) is an infection of the inner lining of your heart chambers and valves. This lining is called the endocardium. The condition also is called infective endocarditis (IE).
The term "endocarditis" also is used to describe an inflammation of the…
ECMO stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The ECMO machine is similar to the heart-lung by-pass machine used in open-heart surgery. It pumps and oxygenates a patient's blood outside the body, allowing the heart and lungs to rest. When you are connected to an…
H
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. In some cases, the heart can't fill with enough blood. In other cases, the heart can't pump blood to the rest of the body with enough force. Some people have both problems.
The…
In hypoplastic left heart syndrome, the left side of the heart - the part that pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body - is underdeveloped. Its two chambers, called the left atrium and the left ventricle, and their valves may be tiny, blocking the flow of oxygenated…
M
Marfan syndrome is a condition in which your body's connective tissue is abnormal. Connective tissue helps support all parts of your body. It also helps control how your body grows and develops.
Marfan syndrome most often affects the connective tissue of the heart and blood…
Mitral (MI-tral) valve prolapse (MVP) is a condition in which one of the heart's valves, the mitral valve, doesn't work properly. The flaps of the valve are "floppy" and don't close tightly.
Much of the time, MVP doesn't cause any problems. Rarely, blood can leak the wrong way…
N
Treatment for hypoplastic left heart syndrome requires either a three-step surgical procedure called staged palliation or a heart transplant. Staged palliation is considered one of the major achievements of congenital heart surgery in recent years. The survival rate for…
O
If the mitral valve becomes diseased or damaged, it may be surgically repaired to restore function. Mitral valves also may be replaced with an artificial or natural valve. However, research has shown that there are many advantages of surgically repairing, rather than replacing…
P
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a heart problem that occurs soon after birth in some babies. In PDA, abnormal blood flow occurs between two of the major arteries connected to the heart.
Before birth, the two major arteries-the aorta and the pulmonary (PULL-mun-ary) artery-…
Pericarditis (PER-i-kar-DI-tis) is a condition in which the membrane, or sac, around your heart is inflamed. This sac is called the pericardium (per-i-KAR-de-um).
The pericardium holds the heart in place and helps it work properly. The sac is made of two thin layers of tissue…
S
Supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS) is a heart defect that develops before birth. This defect is a narrowing (stenosis) of the large blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body (the aorta). The condition is described as supravalvular because the…
T
Tetralogy (teh-TRAL-o-je) of Fallot (fah-LO) is a congenital heart defect. A congenital heart defect is a problem with the heart's structure that's present at birth. This type of heart defect changes the normal flow of blood through the heart.
Tetralogy of Fallot is a rare,…
In transposition of the great arteries, the two major arteries leaving the heart are connected to the wrong ventricles, the two lower chambers of the heart. The result is that blood containing oxygen from the lungs is pumped back into the lungs, while blood that lacks oxygen,…
V
A ventricular assist device (VAD) is a mechanical pump that's used to support heart function and blood flow in people who have weakened hearts.
The device takes blood from a lower chamber of the heart and helps pump it to the body and vital organs, just as a healthy heart…
What Are Holes in the Heart?
Holes in the heart are simple congenital (kon-JEN-ih-tal) heart defects. Congenital heart defects are problems with the heart's structure that are present at birth. These defects change the normal flow of blood through the heart.
Your heart has two…