Glossary
Cardiology & Vascular Glossary
- Aneurysm
- An abnormal bulge or weakening in the wall of an artery. If untreated, an aneurysm may continue to enlarge and rupture, which can be life-threatening. Treatment may be open surgical or endovascular.
- Angiography
- An imaging test in which contrast dye is injected into blood vessels and X-rays are taken to visualize blood flow and identify blockages in the heart or peripheral arteries.
- Angioplasty
- A minimally invasive procedure that uses a small balloon delivered through a catheter to open a narrowed or blocked artery and restore blood flow.
- Atherectomy
- A catheter-based procedure that removes plaque from inside an artery — often used in peripheral artery disease when calcified or hard plaque limits angioplasty alone.
- Cardiac catheterization
- A diagnostic and interventional procedure in which a thin catheter is guided into the heart's arteries through the wrist or groin to evaluate and treat coronary artery disease.
- Carotid artery disease
- Narrowing of the arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain. Significant narrowing increases stroke risk and may be treated with stenting or surgery.
- Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)
- A condition in which leg veins fail to return blood efficiently to the heart, causing swelling, aching, varicose veins, skin discoloration, and venous ulcers.
- Endovascular treatment
- Minimally invasive treatment performed from inside a blood vessel, using catheters, balloons, stents, or coils delivered through a small puncture rather than open surgery.
- Genicular artery embolization (GAE)
- A minimally invasive outpatient procedure that reduces abnormal blood flow to the inflamed lining of an osteoarthritic knee, decreasing chronic knee pain without surgery.
- Heart failure
- A chronic condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump blood as efficiently as the body needs. It may be caused by coronary artery disease, prior heart attack, valve disease, or other conditions.
- Interventional cardiology
- The cardiology subspecialty focused on catheter-based diagnosis and treatment of heart and vascular disease, including coronary stenting, structural heart, and peripheral vascular procedures.
- Longevity medicine
- A preventive approach that combines advanced cardiovascular screening, biomarker analysis, and personalized lifestyle interventions to extend healthspan and reduce long-term cardiovascular risk.
- Minimally invasive
- Procedures performed through small incisions or catheter access, typically with shorter hospital stays, faster recovery, and lower complication rates than traditional open surgery.
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
- A circulatory disease in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs — most commonly the legs — causing pain when walking, non-healing wounds, and in severe cases, limb loss.
- Stenting
- Placement of a small mesh tube inside a narrowed or blocked artery to keep it open after angioplasty and restore healthy blood flow.
- Structural heart disease
- Disorders of the heart's valves, walls, or chambers. Many structural conditions can now be treated with catheter-based procedures rather than open-heart surgery.
- TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement)
- A catheter-based procedure to replace a diseased aortic valve without open-heart surgery. The first U.S. TAVR was performed by Dr. William O'Neill in 2005.
- Varicose veins
- Enlarged, twisted veins — most often in the legs — caused by faulty venous valves and venous insufficiency. Modern treatments include thermal and non-thermal vein closure.
- Venous insufficiency
- A condition in which leg veins do not adequately return blood to the heart, leading to varicose veins, swelling, and chronic skin changes.
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