Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, sometimes known as cardiac MRI, is a noninvasive diagnostic technique that produces computerized images of internal body tissues. It is based on nuclear magnetic resonance of atoms within the body induced by the application of radio waves. It is...
Coronary atherectomy is a minimally invasive, catheter-based procedure that removes plaque that is blocking an artery and blood supply to the heart. It is a treatment option for patients with coronary artery disease.
There are three kinds of catheters approved for coronary atherectomy...
A central venous catheter (CVC or “central line”) is an intravascular catheter that terminates at or close to the heart or in one of the great vessels. According to the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network, the following are considered great vessels for the...
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as electroshock therapy, is a treatment for severe depression that uses electric stimulus to produce a generalized seizure. Psychiatrists perform this medical treatment on patients who are medication-resistant, suicidal,
depressed, bipolar,...
Flexible sigmoidoscopy is an exam used to evaluate the lower part of the large intestines. It can be used to locate and examine inflamed tissue, ulcers, and polyps, which can turn into cancer over time. Flexible sigmoidoscopy is also used as a screen for colon
cancer. Practitioners use...
During a surgery, test, or procedure, propofol (also referred to by its AstraZeneca brand name of Diprivan®) may be chosen to induce a depression of consciousness during which patients cannot be easily aroused by repeated or painful stimulation. This state is referred to as “deep sedation.” For...
According to The Joint Commission and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), moderate sedation (sometimes referred to as conscious sedation) is a druginduced depression of consciousness during which patients respond purposefully to verbal commands, either alone or accompanied by light...
The term “bariatric surgery” is used to describe any procedure that helps promote weight loss in severely obese patients who are unable to lose weight using traditional methods or who suffer from serious obesity-related health problems. The operation restricts food intake and, in some procedures...
Alcohol septal ablation, also commonly called percutaneous transluminal septal myocardial ablation, is a surgical alternative for treating hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM), according to the Web site of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the joint university hospital for Cornell and...
The maze procedure is an open heart surgical treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition commonly referred to as arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat. Alternate treatments to AF that are less invasive than the maze procedure include the use of radio frequency (RF) waves, cryoablation, or...
