Clinical Program

Midaortic Syndrome and Renovascular Hypertension Program

Glossary of terms

  • Anesthesiologist: a trained medical doctor who specializes in managing pain and administering anesthesia during medical and surgical procedures
     
  • Angiography: injecting a special dye into blood vessels, then using X-ray imaging to look for signs of narrowing 
     
  • Angioplasty: the use of a narrow tube called a catheter to inflate a balloon inside a narrowed artery, widening it and improving blood flow to affected organs
     
  • Aorta: the main artery that delivers oxygen-rich blood throughout the body
       
  • Autotransplantation: taking a healthy artery from another part of the body to replace a damaged artery
     
  • Bypass graft surgery: an operation that makes detours, or "bypasses," around narrowed arteries, creating new paths for blood to flow to the heart
     
  • Cardiac catheterization: threading a narrow tube (catheter) up through the blood vessels and into the heart, allowing doctors to check for various problems
     
  • Cardiac surgeon: a trained medical doctor who specializes in surgical procedures to repair heart defects and treat heart disorders
     
  • Cardiologist: a trained medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating heart defects and disorders
     
  • Computed Tomography (CT) scan: an imaging study that moves an X-ray beam around a patient in a circular motion, taking detailed pictures of a particular organ or body part
     
  • Hypertension: high blood pressure
     
  • Interventional radiologist: a trained medical doctor who specializes in minimally invasive imaging procedures to help diagnose and treat different conditions
     
  • Midaortic syndrome (MAS): a rare disorder that causes parts of the aorta to narrow, leading to insufficient blood flow through the chest and abdomen 
     
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): a procedure that uses strong magnets, radiofrequency waves and powerful computers to create 2- and 3-dimensional images of organs and tissues
     
  • Nephrologist: a trained medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating kidney disease and hypertension disorders
     
  • Renovascular hypertension (RVH): high blood pressure caused by narrowing of the arteries that transport blood to the kidneys
     
  • Stenting: placement of a tube called a stent in a narrowed artery in order to hold it open 
     
  • Tissue Expander Stimulated Lengthening of Arteries (TESLA): a new procedure, developed at Boston Children's, that uses a device to "stretch" healthy vessels in the aorta—eventually making them long enough to replace the narrowed vessels
     
  • Transplant surgeon: a trained medical doctor who specializes in surgical procedures that transplant healthy organs to replace damaged or missing ones
     
  • Ultrasound:  a non-invasive procedure that uses special sound waves to create pictures of organs