Cardiac ablation is a therapeutic procedure in which abnormal tissues of the heart's electrical conduction system are destroyed, or ablated, in an effort to restore a consistently normal heart rhythm. The procedure most commonly involves threading...
Cardiac catheterization is a medical procedure that involves passing a thin, flexible tube, called a catheter, into the heart. The catheter is inserted into a vein in the arm, neck or groin and then threaded into the heart. The procedure is used...
During a coronary angiogram, a catheter is inserted into the body and threaded towards the heart until it reaches the coronary arteries in the heart, according to the Better Health Channel website. Dye is then injected into the catheter and a...
Low platelets may result from a number of factors, but often this condition occurs in cancer patients from radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Most commonly known as thrombocytopenia, low platelet levels compromise your body's ability to...
Your heart pumps 5 liters of blood every minute, in order to circulate that blood throughout your body to the various tissues and organs. Your kidneys alone need 22 percent of your blood supply every minute, while your brain must have 14 percent....
A cardiac ablation is a medical procedure that corrects heart arrhythmias by inserting a catheter into a blood vessel in the groin and leading it to the heart. After placing the catheter, the physician uses electrical impulses to scar the area of...
The procedure known as cardiac ablation involves the application of a high-frequency jolt of electricity to the heart in order to correct an irregular heartbeat. A cardiologist inserts a catheter tube through a small incision in the groin, arm or...
Acute renal failure means the kidneys are quickly losing their ability to function. It can happen in a matter of weeks or in just a few days. Acute renal failure has three categories: renal, postrenal and prerenal. The renal category includes...
The heart is a muscle surrounded by a fibrous sac containing sheath called the pericardium. There is normally 2 to 3 ccs of fluid between the heart and the pericardial lining. If excessive fluid builds up in the space between the pericardium and...
Pericarditis means inflammation of the covering of the heart, called the pericardium. The pericardium has several important functions, including protecting the heart from infection and containing the heart so it can't overexpand when your blood...
Cardiac ablation, which is also referred to as catheter ablation, is a surgical procedure used to fix heart rhythm abnormalities called arrhythmias. This procedure typically involves the placement of a small tube or catheter, within the heart...
Atrial fibrillation is a type of heart arrhythmia that causes a fast and irregular pulse. This disorder occurs when the top heart chambers, or atria, pulse in a chaotic way due to abnormal functioning of the heart's electrical system. Atrial...
The pericardium is a connective tissue layer, like a sac, that surrounds the heart. It contains a fluid that lubricates the outside of the heart. The pericardium is opened during cardiac bypass surgery in order to access the heart for the...
Tuberculosis, an airborne bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, most often causes lung disease. Worldwide, around 33 percent of the world population carries the bacteria, although only around 15 million have active infection at...
Severe constipation can lead to bowel or fecal impaction, a condition where solid stool accumulates in the rectum and large intestine, hardening and making a normal bowel movement impossible. Bowel impaction occurs most frequently in the elderly,...
Heart ablation, also known as cardiac ablation, is a treatment which can be used for certain kinds of heart arrythmias. This procedure involves threading a catheter through blood vessels until it gets to the heart. The catheter can then be used to...
The cardiovascular system is composed of the heart and blood vessels. The heart is a crucial muscle in the body that supplies the organs with the blood necessary to survive. Sometimes, certain bacteria can infiltrate the different heart muscle...
Cardiac ablation is a procedure performed to correct irregular heart rhythms. Electrodes are used to correct the structural problems that are responsible for the arrhythmia. Ablation is reserved for cases of irregular heart rhythms that have not...
Atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disturbance that originates from heart chambers at the top of the heart, called the atria. The abnormal rhythm is fast and irregular and cannot adequately squeeze blood into the pumping chambers of the heart,...
Hiccups are caused by sudden, involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. This contraction causes the sudden closure of the glottis, which creates the characteristic hiccup...
The heart is a contractile muscle that works to supply blood to your body. It contains blood vessels that carry the oxygen and nutrients that your body needs. Sometimes, these blood vessels are blocked. In some cases, fluid can build around your...