Cardiac reperfusion is a procedure in which blood flow is restored to the heart following a heart attack or heart surgery. Patients who undergo cardiac reperfusion can experience complications, which are collectively referred to as myocardial...
Physical activity is restricted following a pacemaker implant--due to the lead placement of the pacemaker. Pacemaker leads are positioned in the heart muscle to aide the normal beating of the heart. Following your surgery, however, you should...
Although it’s pronounced just like the vegetable, the “cabbage” surgical procedure is actually referred to as CABG, or coronary artery bypass grafting. During the procedure, a surgeon creates a new passage for blood flow in the...
Coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG, carries serious risks for all your body systems. After surgery, critical care nurses closely monitor your vital signs and lab work while continuously assessing your body systems, including urine output from...
The body needs oxygen and other nutrients to function properly. The heart is responsible for pumping enough oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to all the organs in the body. In heart failure, the heart loses its ability to pump adequate amounts of...
According to the American Heart Association, coronary artery bypass graft surgery is a useful tool in treating patients who have significant narrowing and blockages in the coronary arteries. During the operation, doctors use blood vessels from the...
Heart bypass surgery is sometimes referred to as a coronary artery bypass grafting, CABG, in medical terminology. This means that the coronary arteries have blockages significant enough deplete the heart muscle of oxygen and cause chest pain....
In 1953, Dr. John Gibson performed the first successful open heart surgery with the assistance of a cardiopulmonary bypass machine. Since then, advances in heart bypass surgery continue daily. Some of the advances are in the form of tools and...
Coronary artery surgery is done to restore blood flow to the heart when an artery leading to the heart muscle is blocked. The doctor takes a healthy artery from the leg, arm, chest or abdomen, connecting it to other arteries in the heart,...
High potassium cardioplegia is used to stop the heart action during heart surgery. Open heart surgery requires that the heart be stopped or slowed during the surgical procedure, as a surgeon can not operate on a moving heart. Potassium is...
Heart bypass surgery or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is commonly known as open-heart surgery. Typically, people with coronary artery disease in which vessels of the heart are blocked with hard build-up, called plaque, require heart bypass...
Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, affects the colon or large intestine, which is a hollow tube in the digestive system that stores waste materials and runs from the cecum to the rectum. In the U.S. colon cancer claims thousands of...
Coronary artery disease is a condition in which waxy plaque deposits build up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Affected patients can help prevent a heart attack and decrease chest discomfort through a surgical procedure called a...
There is a large blood vessel in your abdominal area that carries blood from the heart to your abdomen, pelvis and legs. When this blood vessel (abdominal aorta) becomes weak and enlarges or pushes outward it creates an abdominal aortic aneurysm....
Heart surgery is performed for a variety of conditions. Bypassing blocked arteries, repairing valves, bulges or aneurysms, inserting pacemakers and heart transplantation are some of the reasons for heart surgery, according to MedlinePlus. Although...
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the lower portion of the neck below the voice box, or larynx. It releases two hormones, T3 and T4, which are responsible for controlling the body’s metabolism. The thyroid does not release T3 and...
People with cardiac arrhythmia experience an irregular heartbeat. Irregular heartbeats are caused by illnesses, electrolyte imbalances and sometimes by unknown factors. Some arrhythmias linger silently for years, causing no problems or symptoms....
If you have blood vessel or heart disease, or if your blood flow is poor, your doctor may recommend you take blood thinners. When prescribed new medication, it is important to talk to your doctor about possible food interactions with the...
Heart arrhythmia, an irregular heart rate, is a condition that can range from benign and harmless to life-threatening. About 4.3 million Americans have one of four different types of heart arrhythmia, according to the Center for Mechanical...
