Heart Disease B

Bacterial Endocarditis

Infection of the endocardium (the innermost lining of the heart cavities) caused by a species of streptococcus.

Balloon Angioplasty

Therapeutic procedure in which a catheter with a deflated balloon at the tip is inserted into a narrowed artery. The balloon is then inflated at the site of narrowing to widen it.

Balloon-Tipped Catheter

A type of catheter with a balloon at the end that can be inflated under pressure to clear a blocked or occluded blood vessel. Used in angioplasty or valvuloplasty.

Balloon Valvuloplasty

Therapeutic procedure in which a catheter with a deflated balloon at the tip is inserted into a defective heart valve. When inflated, the balloon can separate any narrowed or stiffened leaflets of the valve.

Beating Heart (“Off Pump”) Bypass Surgery

Bypass surgery performed without stopping the heart or using a heart-lung machine. Instead, heart stabilizers keep the heart motionless while the surgeon works on the blocked artery or arteries.

Blood Pressure

The force that blood exerts on the walls of the arteries as it is pumped throughout the body. It is stated in two numbers, such as 120/80. The 120 represents the systolic pressure, which is the pressure recorded each time the heart pumps or contracts; the 80 represents the diastolic pressure, which is the residual pressure in the vessels recorded when the heart relaxes between beats.