Human health and medicine

Vascular ring

Vascular ring: congenital aortic arch anomaly, mainly double aortic arch or right arch with aberrant left subclavian artery, encircling and compressing the trachea and esophagus; about 1% of congenital cardiac anomalies, treated surgically when symptomatic.

Vascular Stiffness

Vascular stiffness (arterial stiffness) is loss of arterial elasticity from aging and arteriosclerosis, measured mainly by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity; it independently predicts cardiovascular events, with cfPWV >10 m/s considered abnormal.

Vascular surgery

Vascular surgery: surgical specialty treating arteries, veins, and lymphatics via open operations (carotid endarterectomy, aneurysm repair) and catheter-based endovascular techniques; rooted in Carrel's 1902 anastomosis and transformed by Dotter's 1964 angioplasty and EVAR.

Vascularized composite allotransplantation

Vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA), earlier called composite tissue allotransplantation, transfers grafts of multiple tissues, such as hands, faces, and uteruses, with vessels reconnected to the recipient.

Vascularized lymph node transfer

Vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) is a microsurgical operation that transplants a flap of lymph nodes with intact blood supply into a lymphedematous limb, usually after cancer treatment.

Vasculitis

Vasculitis, also called angiitis, is a group of rare inflammatory diseases of blood vessels, classified by the 2012 Chapel Hill nomenclature into large-, medium-, and small-vessel forms such as giant cell arteritis, polyarteritis nodosa, and ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Vasectomy

Vasectomy, or male sterilisation, is a 15-20 minute local-anesthetic procedure cutting the vas deferens for permanent contraception; 0.15/100 first-year failure rate, over 500,000 US procedures yearly, no prostate cancer link.

Vasectomy reversal

Vasectomy reversal is a microsurgical operation that reconnects the vas deferens after a vasectomy, restoring sperm flow so a man can father children through natural conception.

Vasoactive-inotropic score

The vasoactive-inotropic score (VIS) is a clinical score converting vasoactive and inotropic drug doses into one number of support intensity, introduced by Gaies in 2010 for infants after cardiac surgery.

Vasoconstriction

Vasoconstriction is narrowing of blood vessels by smooth muscle contraction, controlled by sympathetic vasomotor nerves and hormones such as angiotensin, vasopressin, epinephrine, and norepinephrine; it conserves heat, limits bleeding, raises blood pressure, and was discovered in 1851-1852 by Bernard and Brown-Séquard.

Vasodilation

Vasodilation is widening of blood vessels from smooth muscle relaxation, lowering vascular resistance and blood pressure while increasing flow. Key mechanisms: NO–sGC–cGMP signaling, K+ channel hyperpolarization; quantified by flow-mediated dilation (~6.4% healthy).

Vasodilator therapy

Vasodilator therapy is the use of drugs that relax blood vessel muscle to widen vessels, lowering blood pressure and the heart's workload in hypertension, angina, and heart failure.

Vasodilator-Heart Failure Trials

The Vasodilator-Heart Failure Trials (V-HeFT I and II) were 1986 and 1991 Veterans Affairs trials showing hydralazine plus isosorbide dinitrate reduced mortality in chronic heart failure.

Vasomotor or allergic rhinitis

Vasomotor or allergic rhinitis (ICD-11 CA08) groups IgE-mediated allergic rhinitis and nonallergic (vasomotor) rhinitis, formerly called vasomotor rhinitis or nonallergic rhinopathy; treated with intranasal corticosteroids, antihistamines, and immunotherapy.

Vasopressin

Vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone, ADH, arginine vasopressin) is a hypothalamic nonapeptide released by the posterior pituitary that drives renal water reabsorption via V2 receptors, vasoconstriction via V1a, and ACTH release via V1b; synthesized by du Vigneaud (1955 Nobel Prize).

Vasoproliferative tumor of the retina

Vasoproliferative tumor of the retina (RVPT), also called retinal vasoproliferative tumor, is a rare benign retinal vascular growth, typically in the peripheral retina, causing vision loss and floaters.

Vastus lateralis muscle

Vastus lateralis, the largest quadriceps femoris muscle of the lateral thigh, extends the knee, is innervated by the femoral nerve (L2–L4), supplied by the lateral circumflex femoral artery, and is the standard muscle biopsy site in research.

Vastus medialis

Vastus medialis, also vastus medialis obliquus (VMO), medial quadriceps muscle of the thigh extending the knee; femoral nerve L2-L4; disputed VMO/VML subdivision; ultrasound validated against MRI for its size.

Vastyamayantaka ghrta

Vastyamayantaka ghrita (Vastyāmayāntaka ghṛta) is an Ayurvedic medicated ghee from Sahasrayoga and Yogasarasangraha, indicated for urinary bladder diseases, stones, retention, and incontinence, given orally or as basti.

Vatalanib

Vatalanib (PTK787/ZK 222584, pynasunate) is an oral aminophthalazine VEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, also blocking PDGFR-beta, c-Kit, and c-Fms; its phase III CONFIRM colorectal cancer trials missed their primary endpoints and it was never approved.

Vatari guggulu

Vatari guggulu (Vātāri guggulu), an Ayurvedic pill with purified Commiphora wightii resin, castor oil, sulphur, and triphala in equal parts, dosed 2-3 g daily with warm water for Amavata, sciatica, gout, and low back pain.

Vatari rasa

Vatari rasa (वातारिरस) is a classical Ayurvedic herbo-mineral tablet of mercury, sulphur, triphala, chitraka, and guggulu ground with castor oil, used for amavata and vata disorders; distinct from the mercury-free Vatari Guggulu.

Vatavidhvamsana rasa (vatavidhvansana rasa)

Vatavidhvamsana rasa (Vātavidhvaṃsana rasa), an Ayurvedic herbo-mineral rasa yoga from Yogaratnakara and the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, dosed 250 mg with honey; contains purified mercury, sulphur, metal bhasmas, and aconite, used for vata disorders, pain, and inflammation.

Vatiquinone

Vatiquinone (EPI-743, PTC743, alpha-tocotrienol quinone) is an oral vitamin E-derived quinone inhibiting 15-lipoxygenase, developed by PTC Therapeutics for mitochondrial disease and Friedreich's ataxia; unapproved after failed trials and a 2025 FDA complete response letter.

Vatreptacog alfa (activated)

Vatreptacog alfa (activated), or NN1731, was a Novo Nordisk recombinant factor VIIa analog with three amino acid substitutions for hemophilia bleeding with inhibitors; effective in phase 2/3 trials but discontinued after anti-drug antibodies developed.