How to Choose Best Cardiologist in Town

15 March 2023 | Pavan | Blogs

Heart disease is one of the prevalent diseases this generation of people is facing. When a patient develops CVS disease and the risk factor worsens, most physicians take immediate actions to prescribe the medications or lifestyle interventions designed to prevent the cardiovascular disease from developing to progressing.

How to Know When the Cardiologist is Needed

It is ideal to have a general check-up when one hits the age of 30, however, it is recommended to see a cardiologist once a year as a part of a routine checkup. Because it’s always better to prevent than to cure. Most physicians will quickly refer any patients who might benefit from seeing the specialist. But it is also normal to get a consultation if the patient feels like there should be an opinion. One of the basic things to know about the cardiologist is that if the patient is not satisfied by the primary health care professional. And if there are some worries about health, a cardiologist can provide the answers one seeks and put the mind at ease.

Education Qualifications

Getting graduation from a very good school and having training in the various medical and surgical specialities in standardized cardiovascular care is approved. The cardiologists complete four years of medical school, followed by three years of residency in internal medicine before serving three or four years in a cardiology fellowship. One or two years of additional training may follow if they choose to have any subspeciality like interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, heart failure or imaging. Some cardiologists do interventional procedures such as stenting, but these doctors won’t perform the surgery. After medical school cardiac surgeons traditionally have completed a five-year residency in general surgery. Followed by the cardiothoracic (heart and lung) surgery fellowship. Some programs will offer four years of general surgery plus three years of cardiothoracic surgery.

To choose the best cardiologist there will be always family and friends and the internet like practo, google and checking for the review and internet ratings, Its same for all doctors by coming to cardiology, one should know different types of specialists in their area and know who does what to get the better treatment for their specific condition. Now let’s see who does what better and the different kinds of heart specialists.

Clinical Cardiologists

Clinical cardiologists can diagnose, confirm, and manage heart diseases. This heart specialist will help to know if one develops any symptoms like angina or abnormal heart rhythm or have a heart attack, this doctor will also work around your general physicians and surgeons, if necessary.

Interventional Cardiologists

These doctors specialize in invasive but non-surgical procedures for treating coronary artery disease, valve disease, peripheral artery disease and carotid artery disease in the large vessels leading to the brain. Their procedures are performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.

Electrophysiologists

If there is an irregular heart rhythm or fast or slow blood pressure rates in the heart an electrophysiologist is the specialist one need. This doctor will do catheter ablations and implant electrical devices such as pacemakers and cardioverter defibrillators.

Cardiac Imagining Specialists

These doctors use advanced imaging modalities to diagnose heart disease. These include stress tests with imaging echocardiography and cardiac MRI and CT scans. They also treat the patients with image-guided therapies.

Heart Failure Specialists

Because of the complex nature of heart failure, patients with this disorder must see this specialist. Because they have the expertise in managing the symptoms and delaying the progression of heart failure. When the symptoms may reach a certain degree of severity a heart failure specialist will provide counsel on sophisticated treatments like ventricular assistance or heart transplantation.

Congenital Heart Specialists

This doctor will be referred to when there is any abnormality in a newborn or an infant or a kid. This includes if there is any hole in the heart, which is also known as patent foramen ovale which may go unnoticed until late adulthood.

Cardio Oncologists

This subspeciality arises when the heart disease has to be treated with cancer. Some of the chemotherapeutic agents and radiation therapy are toxic to the heart. Involving a cardio oncologist in the care of patients is needing radiation to the chest or receiving a toxic form of chemotherapy which can maximize the cardiac risk and help to ensure the best outcome for cancer without harming the heart.

Preventive Cardiologists

If there is a history of heart disease or stroke at a young age or an extensive family history of cardiovascular disease or risk factors for it many want to see preventive cardiologists. To minimize the risk and develop an individualized plan to minimize it.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Specialist

These specialists design and monitor supervised exercise and nutrition programs designed to help patients safely return to optimal functioning of the heart attack, heart surgery, interventional procedure or diagnosis of heart failure.

These are some of the doctors one needs to know, before going for the consult as these doctors are specialized in those areas and will provide the exact treatment for the specific conditions.