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Heart Disease: Procedures & Surgeries
Angioplasty and Stents
Angioplasty is a nonsurgical technique for opening a blocked artery. A stent is a tube used to keep the artery open. Click here to learn what it's all about.
Brachytherapy
After angioplasty and stenting, a blocked artery may narrow again. Radiation can be used to reopen the artery. This is called brachytherapy. Get the facts here.
Bypass Surgery
Heart bypass surgery is just what it sounds like. It’s also called "cabbage" -- CABG or coronary artery bypass graft. A surgeon builds a bypass around a blocked artery. It's a very serious but very common operation. Get the facts here.
Heart Valve Surgery and Valvuloplasty
Heart valve disease can be treated with surgery. It can also be treated with balloon valvuloplasty, a nonsurgical technique. This article compares and contrasts the two approaches.
Heart Valve Surgery and Valvuloplasty
Cardioversion
Like defibrillation, cardioversion uses an electric shock to restore proper heart rhythm. But cardioversion uses a milder shock in nonemergency situations. Click here for more.
EECP
For people with persistent angina, EECP -- enhanced external counterpulsation -- can sometimes help when other treatments fail. It's a high-tech, nonsurgical procedure that can create a kind of natural bypass for blocked arteries. Read about it here.
Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization
Transmyocardial laser revascularization -- TMR -- is an operation in which a special laser is used to make tiny holes in the heart. It's for patients with inoperable heart disease and persistent angina. Here's an overview.
Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization
Aortic Aneurysm Repair
Aortic aneurysm repair is a tricky surgery. This video is about a new technique that avoids risky surgery.
Aortic Aneurysm Sensor
The sudden bursting of an aortic aneurysm means sudden death. Researchers are working on a warning sensor. Learn more from this video.
Heart Ablation Therapy
For heart-rhythm problems, ablation therapy seeks to stop abnormal electrical signals. There are both nonsurgical and surgical forms of heart ablation therapy. Here are the facts.
Heart Transplant
Yes, it's drastic. But 40 years after the first heart transplant, it's now an established procedure. Click here to find out why.
Video: Heart Transplant Saves Lives
Heart failure which doesn’t respond to medical treatment sometimes requires this lifesaving transplant procedure.
Video: Heart Transplant Saves Lives
Pacemaker
Heart failure which doesn’t respond to medical treatment sometimes requires this lifesaving transplant procedure.
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator
An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is an amazingly sophisticated device. It automatically senses when your heart starts to flutter helplessly, then shocks it back into its rhythmic groove.
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator
ICD Lead Extraction
You need ICD lead extraction when one of the wires going from your device to your heart -- a lead -- isn't working right. This guide to the procedure gives you the facts you'll need.
Left Ventricular Assist Device
It's not an artificial heart -- but it's close. An implanted LVAD -- left-ventricular-assist device -- helps the heart's main chamber do its pumping job. Here's an illustrated guide to how it works.
Left Ventricular Assist Device
Biventricular Pacing
When the lower chambers of the heart get out of sync heart failure symptoms can occur. Biventricular pacing gets the heart’s groove back in sync. Here's an illustrated guide to this procedure.
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