heart valve
Blood flow regulator
A heart valve is one of four flap-like structures in the heart that open and close to control blood flow between chambers and into arteries.
The valves ensure blood moves in one direction, preventing backflow.
Valve disorders—when valves leak or narrow—can require surgical repair or replacement: She had a mechanical heart valve implanted.
Of a heart valve
- tricuspidHaving three projections
- pulmonaryOf the lungs
- aorticOf the main artery
- bicuspidDouble-cusped grinding tooth
semilunar · leaflet · annulus · cusp · chordae tendineae · ventricle · atrium · septum
Abnormal bodily narrowing
- regurgitationEjecting swallowed material
- prolapseOrgan slipping from place
- insufficiencyShortfall in amount needed
- endocarditisInflamed inner heart lining
calcification · rheumatic fever · murmur · congenital defect · atresia · vegetations · thrombus · fibrosis
What takes another's place
- repairRestore to working order
- sternotomySurgical cut through breastbone
- cardiopulmonary bypassMachine replaces heart and lung function
- sutureMedical wound closure
prosthesis · transcatheter · minimally invasive · cardiothoracic surgeon · postoperative · anticoagulation
Movement through vessels
- unidirectionalMoving in one direction
- systoleHeart muscle contraction phase
- diastoleCardiac relaxation phase
- openingGap or start
closing · pressure gradient · oxygenation · perfusion · pulmonary circulation · preload · afterload
Of or like swine
Ultrasound of the heart
- Doppler ultrasoundSonographic blood flow measurement
- transesophagealThrough the food pipe
- auscultationMedical listening examination
- stethoscopeMedical listening instrument
murmur · click · pressure gradient · stress test · electrocardiogram
mitral
Of a heart valve
bicuspid · semilunar · leaflet · annulus · cusp · chordae tendineae · ventricle · atrium · septum · orifice
stenosis
Abnormal bodily narrowing
- regurgitationEjecting swallowed material
- prolapseOrgan slipping from place
- insufficiencyShortfall in amount needed
endocarditis · calcification · rheumatic fever · murmur · congenital defect · atresia · vegetations · thrombus · fibrosis · cardiomyopathy
replacement
What takes another's place
- repairRestore to working order
- sternotomySurgical cut through breastbone
- cardiopulmonary bypassMachine replaces heart and lung function
suture · prosthesis · transcatheter · minimally invasive · cardiothoracic surgeon · postoperative · anticoagulation
blood flow
Movement through vessels
- unidirectionalMoving in one direction
- systoleHeart muscle contraction phase
- diastoleCardiac relaxation phase
opening · closing · pressure gradient · oxygenation · perfusion · pulmonary circulation · preload · afterload
porcine
Of or like swine
- homograftTransplant between same species
- xenograftInterspecies tissue transfer
- St. JudePatron of lost causes
Edwards · Medtronic · durability · warfarin
echocardiogram
Ultrasound of the heart
- Doppler ultrasoundSonographic blood flow measurement
- transesophagealThrough the food pipe
- auscultationMedical listening examination
stethoscope · murmur · click · pressure gradient · stress test · electrocardiogram
- cardiologyheartbeat, cardiologist, arrhythmia, aorta, coronary arteries
- cardiac devicespacemaker, defibrillator, ECG, EKG machine, echocardiogram
- body partsarm, leg, hand, back, chest
- heartheartbeat, ventricles, aorta, atria, atrium
- medical devicespacemaker, defibrillator, AED, ventilator, CT scanner
- medical technologypacemakers, pacemaker, defibrillator, ventilator, MRI technology
heart, valve, hearts, valves, cardiac, valved, cardiology, cardiovascular, heart valves