Clinical Anatomy of the Heart and Respiratory Musculature

The heart is a pair of muscular pumps with valves combined into a single organ. Although the fibromuscular framework and conduction tissues of these pumps are structurally intertwined, each pump (the so-called "right" and "left" hearts) is physiologically separate and is interposed in series at different points in the dual circulation. Despite this serial functional arrangement, the two pumps are usually described topographically in parallel. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are alterations that cause instability in the functioning of the cardiovascular system, having a direct impact on the life of the individual affected by these pathologies, thus reducing their functional capacity and also interfering in the performance of their activities. Cardiac surgery is often the treatment. Among the different types of heart surgery, we find that coronary artery bypass grafting accounts for more than half the number of heart surgeries in Brazil. According to the World Health Organization, cardiac rehabilitation is the sum of the activities necessary to guarantee patients with heart disease the best physical conditions.