Cardiac Surgery Glossary

Staying at the Hospital for Cardiac Surgery

Learn about the care team that will support your family during your child’s hospital stay.

Bedside nurse: The nurse who will care for your child at the bedside (red RN badge)

Charge nurse: The nurse in charge of the unit (Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) or Heart and Kidney Unit (HKU)) on every shift

Cardiologist: The doctor who manages your child’s heart care

Cardiac intensivist: A cardiologist with special training to care for children in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

Cardiothoracic surgeon: The doctor who performs surgery on your child’s heart

Chaplain: A spiritual support person who can talk with you, pray with you or work with your own faith leader. They can also provide rituals such as blessings, communion, baptisms or other practices important to your family.

Child life specialist: A specialist who helps children and families cope with being in the hospital. They can:

Help brothers and sisters prepare to meet their new sibling
Suggest ways to comfort your baby, like recording your voice
Help you check out books to read to your child
Tell you about infant massage or other calming activities

Fellow: A doctor who has completed medical school and residency and is now getting extra training in a specialty.

Genetic counselor: A specialist who helps families understand how genetics can affect a child’s health. They can explain your child’s condition and talk with you about risks in future pregnancies.

Lactation consultant: An expert who helps breastfeeding parents. They can answer questions about breastfeeding, pumping, milk supply, and how to get a pump to use at home.

Neonatologist: The doctor who takes care of sick babies during their hospital stay

Nurse practitioner: A nurse with advanced education and training who works with the doctor to create and manage the care plan for you and your child

Obstetrician: The doctor who provides routine health care for pregnant women and delivers their babies

Patient care tech: Provides direct, daily care to patients and supports the nursing staff (teal TECH badge)

Perinatologist: The doctor who provides high risk healthcare for pregnant women and delivers their babies; also called a maternal fetal medicine (MFM) doctor

Psychologist: A medical professional that helps you and your child cope with feelings about having a heart problem. The psychologist can address mood or behavior concerns, as well as typical development and adjustment.

Social worker: A mental health clinician who helps families by providing supportive counseling on new diagnoses, decision-making, coping with high-risk pregnancy, being in the hospital, chronic illness, changes in the care plan and more. Social workers can also help with ongoing communication with medical teams involved in your child’s care and can connect you to local, national and hospital-based resources.

Sonographer/Echo tech: A person who is specially trained in the use of ultrasound to take pictures of your baby’s heart

How the Heart Works

Aorta: Largest artery going from the heart to the body

Aortic valve (AV): The valve that controls blood flow from the left ventricle into the aorta

Artery: A blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to tissues and organs in the body

Atresia: Absence of a normal opening in the body

Atrium: One of two (2) upper “holding” chambers of the heart; normal hearts have two (2) atria (a right and a left)

Atrium, left (LA): The upper left-hand chamber of the heart where oxygen-rich blood (red) from the lungs enters the heart

Atrium, right (RA): The upper right-hand chamber of the heart where “used” blood without oxygen (blue) returns to the heart from the body

Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU): A special care area for heart patients that need close monitoring

Coarctation: Narrowing of the aorta

Ductus arteriosus: Normal extra blood vessel found in a fetus before birth; connects pulmonary artery and aorta; it is normal for this extra blood vessel to go away after a baby is born

Foramen ovale: Normal hole between the two upper chambers of a baby’s heart; it is normal for this hole to close after a baby is born

Heterotaxy: A condition with many organs on the opposite side of the body

Hypoplastic: Underdeveloped or incomplete growth of a tissue or organ

Inferior vena cava (IVC): The blood vessel that returns “used” blood without oxygen (blue) from the lower part of the body to the heart

Intravenous (IV): In the vein; refers to a small needle or plastic catheter placed in the hand, foot, arm, or umbilicus (belly button) to give fluid and medicine

Mitral valve (MV): The valve that controls blood flow between the left atrium and left ventricle in the heart

Murmur: A blowing or rasping sound heard while listening to the heart; it may or may not mean a problem within the heart

Prostaglandin (PGE or prostins): A medication given to keep the ductus arteriosus open after a baby is born

Pulmonary artery (PA): The artery that carries “used” blood without oxygen (blue) from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs; the PA splits into 2 branches (right and left) to allow blood to pick up oxygen from either the right or left lung

Pulmonic valve: The valve that controls blood flow between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery

Pulmonary vein: The large vein that carries newly oxygen-rich blood (red) from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart

Regurgitation: Backward flow of blood caused by a defective heart valve; another word for leaky

Stenosis: Abnormal narrowing of a blood vessel or valve in the heart

Superior vena cava (SVC): The blood vessel that returns “used” blood without oxygen (blue) from the upper part of the body (the head and neck) to the right atrium

Tricuspid valve (TV): The valve that controls blood flow between the right atrium and the right ventricle

Two vessel cord: An umbilical cord that only has two blood vessels; the umbilical cord usually has three blood vessels (two arteries and one vein)

Umbilical artery (UA): A blood vessel that carries “used” blood without oxygen (blue) from the baby back to the placenta; most babies have 2 umbilical arteries

Umbilical cord: The tube that connects the placenta and the baby; the umbilical arteries and umbilical vein are inside the umbilical cord

Umbilical vein (UV): A blood vessel that takes oxygen-rich blood (red) from the placenta to the baby; most babies have one umbilical vein

Umbilical arterial catheter (UAC): A small catheter placed in the umbilical artery to monitor blood pressure and get blood for lab tests

Umbilical venous catheter (UVC): An IV placed in the umbilical vein to give fluid and medication

Vein: A blood vessel that carries “used” blood without oxygen from the body back to the heart

Ventricle: One of two lower “pumping” chambers of the heart; normal hearts have two ventricles (a right and a left)

Ventricle, left (LV): The lower left-hand chamber of the heart where oxygen-rich blood (red) is pumped to the body

Ventricle, right (RV): The lower right-hand chamber of the heart where “used” blood without oxygen is pumped to the lungs

Access the Patient Portal

Current patients have access to our patient portal, MyChildrensPortal, allowing you to conveniently prepare for your visit by sending messages, requesting appointments, refilling prescriptions or completing school forms and referrals. You can also check lab results and stay up-to-date on preventive care such as flu shots. The portal can be accessed anytime through your smartphone, tablet or computer.

View the portal

doctor with stethoscope examines young boy

Heart Conditions and Treatments

Learn more about heart conditions we treat at Children's National Hospital.

Read our health library