The heart is a cone shaped structure the size of your fist. Located slightly to the left of the centre of the chest, the heart is protected by the breastbone in the front, the spinal cord in the back and the lungs on both sides. The heart has two lower ventricles, two upper auricles, the aorta and the pulmonary artery. Also, there are pulmonary veins and coronary arteries to carry oxygenated and deoxygenated blood between the heart, lungs and body.

The heart is covered by a thick main layer of heart muscle called the myocardium. The myocardium is composed of individual muscle cells called myocytes that act together to contract and re chambers to pump blood into the lungs and body.

The right side of the heart is responsible for pulmonary circulation. "Used" blood from your body returns to the right side of the heart via the two large veins - the superior vena cava and the inferior vena cava.

This deoxygenated blood is pumped into the lungs where it releases carbon dioxide and picks up oxygen. The carbondioxide is expelled into the air by breathing.

Blood rich in oxygen travels to the left side of the heart from where it is pumped to the rest of the body through the aorta. When the blood circulates throughout the body substances other than carbondioxide are also transported. The blood carries hormones to their sites of activity taken to the kidneys and liver.

Nutrients are picked up from the intestines and taken to other parts of the body where they are needed.

The heart functions as a "double" pump. The caridovascular pump operates by squeezing blood out of the chambers and expanding to allow blood in. The right side made up of the right auricle and ventricle pumps deoxygenated blood through the lungs where the blood gets oxygen and releases carbondioxide, which is expelled into the air by breathing. The left auricle and ventricle recive newly oxygenated blood from the lungs and pump it to the rest of the body. The circulatory blood delivers necessary oxygen along with transporting nutrients, hormones and waste products.

Waste products are taken to the kidneys and liver. Valves are strong leaflets of fibrous tissue covered by cells. They allow the blood to pass only in one direction. They function like a gate which opens only when pushed by the pressure that builds up within the hearts chambers. The cardiovascular pump operates by squeezing blood out of the chambers and then expanding to allow blood in.

This cycle of contraction and relaxation causes the blood flow to be "pulsatile". The pulse of blood flow is transmitted to the blood vessels where the pulse can be felt at points. The heart function as a double pump. The right side, made up of the right auricle and ventricle pumps blood through the lungs where blood gets oxygen. The left auricle and ventricle receive the newly oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps its to the rest of the body. The circulatory blood delivers necessary oxygen along with transporting nutrients, hormones and waste products.

In a healthy heart, the right and left sides are separated with the 2 auricles separated by the atrial septum and the ventricles by the ventricular septum. Deoxygenated blood that returns from the tissue to the right chambers must circulate through the lungs before it enters the left side.

The valves are strong, thin leaflets of fibrous tissue covered by cells. Although the pumping action of the heart is effective in ejecting blood from the chambers, it requires a method to guarantee that the pumped fluid goes in the desired direction. This is the purpose of the valves.

The valves are designed to allow blood to pass in only one direction. They function like a gate which opens only when pushed. The valves open and close in response to the naturally occurring pressure that built up within the heart chambers.

1. Coronary Artery Disease / Ischemic Heart Disease

- Acute Coronary Syndrome
              a. Angina Pectoris - Stable Angina
                                           - Unstable Angina
              b. Acute Myocardial Infraction

- Stable / Progressive CAD

2. Diseases of the Heart Muscles (Cardiomyopathy)

- Hypertropic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy

-Pulmonary Heart Disease

           i. PHT
           ii. Pulmonary Embolism
           iii. Cor Pulmonale
                     - Atrial Septal Defect
                     - Ventricular Septal Defect
                     - Mitral Valve Disease
                     - Patient Ductus Arteriosus
                     - Aortic Valve Disease
                     - Coarctation of Aorta