I

Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) or Device. Refers to a pump inserted into the aorta which assists the heart in pumping blood.

L

Lobectomy. Surgical removal of one or more of the lobes of the lung.

M

Median Sternotomy. The heart resides directly under the sternum, and the sternum is usually cut to provide access by the heart surgeon to the heart. This is done through a procedure called a median sternotomy.

Mitral Valve. One of the four valves of the heart. This valve is the one through which blood passes from the left atrium into the left ventricle.

Myocardium. The medical term for heart muscle. The myocardium receives regular electrical signals that trigger the muscle to contract, pumping blood out of the heart.

O

Off-Pump Heart Surgery. Sometimes referred to as "beating heart" surgery, this type of surgery involves performing heart surgery without placing a patient on the heart-lung machine. In this type of surgery, the heart continues to beat while the surgeon performs the graft. Many South Texas Cardiothoracic surgeons now perform this type of surgery on patients for whom this type of surgery is appropriate.

P

Pacemaker. A small device, typically implanted under the skin but can be external, that regulates the heart's rhythm by delivering small electrical charges to the heart muscle.

Plaque. Fatty deposits that can build up on the wall of an artery. This narrows the artery and reduces blood flow to the heart.

PTCA. Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty.

Pulmonary Artery. The chambers on the right side of the heart receive ?used? blood from the body and send it to the lungs for re-oxygenation through the pulmonary artery.

Pulmonary Valve. The valve at the upper part of the right ventricle through which blood is pumped to the pulmonary artery back to the lungs for re-oxygenation.