Year: 2026

Left Heart Catheterization is an invasive cardiovascular procedure that places a catheter into the left-sided circulation of the heart. It is a diagnostic test and procedural platform used to assess coronary arteries and left heart pressures. It is commonly encountered in cardiology when evaluating chest pain, suspected coronary artery disease, or valvular heart disease. It is often performed in a cardiac catheterization laboratory using fluoroscopy (live X-ray imaging).

Right Heart Catheterization is an invasive procedure used to measure pressures and blood flow through the right side of the heart and the pulmonary (lung) circulation. It is a diagnostic test and hemodynamic assessment, sometimes performed with monitoring capabilities in critical care. It is commonly encountered in evaluations of pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, shock, and complex valvular or congenital heart disease. It helps clinicians connect symptoms to measurable physiology at the bedside or in the catheterization laboratory.

Cardiac Catheterization is an invasive cardiovascular procedure that uses thin catheters placed into blood vessels and guided to the heart. It is both a diagnostic test and a therapeutic procedure, depending on the tools and goals used during the case. It is commonly encountered in the evaluation of coronary artery disease, valvular heart disease, and hemodynamic (pressure/flow) problems. It is most often performed in a specialized setting called the cardiac catheterization laboratory (“cath lab”).

Reperfusion Therapy means restoring blood flow to heart muscle that is not getting enough oxygen. It is a treatment strategy, not a diagnosis, and it is most often discussed as an emergency cardiovascular intervention. It is commonly encountered in acute coronary syndromes, especially ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). It includes procedures and medications aimed at opening an occluded coronary artery.

Thrombolysis is treatment that breaks down an existing blood clot using medication. It is a therapeutic drug strategy, sometimes delivered as a procedure when given through a catheter. It is commonly encountered in cardiology during emergencies such as acute myocardial infarction and high-risk pulmonary embolism. It is also a key concept in time-sensitive reperfusion care alongside mechanical approaches.

A Bare Metal Stent is a small metal mesh tube placed inside an artery to help keep it open. It is a cardiovascular device used during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It is most commonly encountered in the setting of coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndromes. It provides mechanical support to a narrowed or treated vessel segment after balloon dilation.

Drug Eluting Stent is a small metal scaffold placed inside a narrowed coronary artery to help keep it open. It is a cardiovascular device used during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). It slowly releases a medication that helps limit tissue regrowth inside the stent. It is commonly encountered in the care of coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndromes.

A Coronary Stent is a small metal (or scaffold-like) tube placed inside a coronary artery to help keep it open. It is a **device** used during **percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)**, a catheter-based heart procedure. It is commonly encountered when treating **coronary artery disease (CAD)**, especially angina and acute coronary syndromes. Its goal is to improve blood flow to heart muscle and reduce ischemia from a narrowed artery.

Balloon Angioplasty is a catheter-based procedure used to widen a narrowed or blocked blood vessel. It is an interventional procedure (a type of minimally invasive treatment), most commonly performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. In cardiology, it is encountered during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary artery disease and in selected structural or peripheral vascular procedures. Its goal is to improve blood flow by mechanically expanding the vessel or valve opening.

Angioplasty is a catheter-based procedure used to open a narrowed or blocked blood vessel. It is a cardiovascular procedure, most commonly performed in the coronary arteries. It is frequently encountered in the evaluation and treatment of angina and acute coronary syndromes. It is often paired with stent placement as part of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).