Left ventricle

Synonym: Ventriculus sinister, left ventricle Definition The left ventricle, as part of the “great” or body’s circulation, is located downstream of the left atrium (atrium sinistrum) and pumps the oxygen-rich blood fresh from the lungs into the aorta and thus into the body’s circulation, where it supplies all the important structures with oxygen. Anatomy left … Left ventricle

Pressure Pulse: Treatment, Effect & Risks

In physiology, a pressure pulse is the representation of blood pressure in the form of a curve. To be distinguished from this is the cardiac pressure pulse, which corresponds to a bradycardic vigorous pulse with a simultaneous rise in blood pressure and is considered a symptom of rising intracranial pressure. Increases in intracranial pressure may … Pressure Pulse: Treatment, Effect & Risks

Cardiac Surgery: Treatment, Effect & Risks

Cardiac surgery has been an independent medical specialty since 1993. The primary specialty is toracic and cardiovascular surgery, which evolved from general surgery. Cardiac surgeons treat acquired and congenital heart disease as well as injuries to the heart and surrounding vessels. Cardiac surgery works closely with vascular surgery and cardiology. What is cardiac surgery? Cardiac … Cardiac Surgery: Treatment, Effect & Risks

Afterload: Function, Tasks, Role & Diseases

Afterload corresponds to the resistance that works against the contraction of the heart muscle, limiting the ejection of blood from the heart. The heart‘s afterload increases in the setting of hypertension or valvular stenosis, for example. Compensatory to this, the heart muscle may hypertrophy and promote heart failure. What is afterload? Afterload corresponds to the … Afterload: Function, Tasks, Role & Diseases

Libman-Sacks Endocarditis: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

In 1924, American cardiologists Emanuel Libman and Benjamin Sacks at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital first observed a form of endocarditis that was not caused by an infectious agent. They therefore initially referred to it as “atypical verrucous endocarditis.” In total, they observed and followed the disease in four different patients. Over the years, this … Libman-Sacks Endocarditis: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Heart valves

Synonym: Valvae cordis Definition The heart consists of four cavities, which are separated from each other and from the respective blood vessels by a total of four heart valves. This allows blood to flow in only one direction and only when it is appropriate within the scope of the heart action (systole or diastole). The … Heart valves