Tachypnea: Rapid breathing.
Thrombolysis: The breaking up of a blood clot.
Thrombosis: A blood clot that forms inside the blood vessel or cavity of the heart.
Transcatheter Intervention: Any of the noninvasive procedures usually performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Angioplasty is an example of a transcatheter intervention. Also called a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
Transesophageal Echocardiography: A diagnostic test that analyzes sound waves bounced off the heart. The sound waves are sent through a tube-like device inserted in the mouth and passed down the esophagus (food pipe), which ends near the heart. This technique is useful in studying patients whose heart and vessels, for various reasons, are difficult to assess with standard echocardiography.
Transient Ischemic Attack: A stroke-like event that lasts only for a short time and is caused by a temporarily blocked blood vessel.
Tricuspid Valve: The structure that controls blood flow from the heart’s upper right chamber (the right atrium) into the lower right chamber (the right ventricle).
Tachyarrhythmias: Abnormally fast heart rhythms.
Thoracotomy: An incision into the chest that may be made when heart or lung surgery is performed.
