Year: 2026

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).

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention is a catheter-based procedure used to open narrowed or blocked coronary arteries. It is an interventional cardiology procedure that treats coronary artery disease by improving blood flow to heart muscle. It is commonly encountered in the cardiac catheterization laboratory during evaluation and treatment of angina and myocardial infarction. Percutaneous Coronary Intervention is often abbreviated as PCI after first use.

CABG stands for **coronary artery bypass grafting**. It is a **surgical procedure** used to improve blood flow to heart muscle affected by coronary artery disease. CABG is commonly encountered in cardiology when evaluating **multivessel coronary disease**, **left main disease**, or symptoms not adequately controlled by other strategies. It is part of the broader field of **coronary revascularization**, alongside percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting is a surgical procedure used to improve blood flow to the heart muscle. It is a revascularization procedure performed for coronary artery disease. It is commonly encountered in cardiology when patients have angina, prior myocardial infarction, or high-risk coronary anatomy. It is often discussed alongside medical therapy and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) when planning treatment.