IN THIS ISSUE
Home | Contact Us | About Us | 
Subscribe
leftnav03.html
From the Winter 2005 Issue
Learning Center
The Different Heart Doctors Who Might Treat You
Some people may never need to see a doctor other than their regular family doctor. Family doctors are often also called primary care doctors. Your primary care doctor might sometimes discuss your treatment with a specialist, or send you to see a specialist.
People who have (or have had) any kind of heart and blood vessel problem might also regularly see a cardiologist. Or, your doctor might send you to one or more cardiovascular specialists. Doctors work together in this way to offer you the best treatment possible.
As medicine has become more complex, experts in various specialized fields have worked together to offer patients the most up-to-date treatment. But the number of different specialists can leave patients wondering how these doctors' jobs differ.
LifeBeat Online describes some types of doctors who may be involved in taking care of your heart.
- Primary care doctors manage your overall health care.
- Cardiologists focus on a wide range of heart and blood vessel problems.
Cardiologists Who Perform Heart and Blood Vessel Procedures
- Interventional cardiologists specialize in minimally invasive heart and blood vessel procedures.
- Electrophysiologists focus on abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias).
Surgeons Who Perform Cardiovascular Surgeries
- Vascular surgeons perform blood vessel surgeries.
- Cardiac surgeons perform heart surgeries.
Doctors' Medical Education
All of the types of doctors listed have completed:
- College
- Medical school (usually 4 years)
- A residency program (at least 3 years)
In a residency program, doctors work under more experienced doctors to study and practice their medical specialty. After residency, many doctors complete a fellowship program (often several years), where they learn about and provide even more specialized patient care.
Doctors Who See You Regularly
Primary care (or family doctors) are your main health care contact. They provide treatment for everything from flu shots to sinus infections. They may also take care of your heart.
Cardiologists do many of the same things that family doctors do when watching over your cardiovascular health. If you have (or have had) a heart or blood vessel problem, you might see a cardiologist regularly, as well as your primary care or family doctor.
Examples of What Primary Care or Family Doctors Do
- Prescribe medications and adjust your dosage as needed
- Order and check blood tests
- Ask about symptoms to detect changes in your condition
- Send you to specialists as needed
Examples of What Cardiologists Do
- Treat patients who have coronary artery disease (blocked arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle) or carotid artery disease (blocked arteries leading to the brain)
- Monitor patients who have had or are at risk of having a heart attack, heart failure, heart valve problems, or abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)
- Perform cardiac catheterizations
- Evaluate Holter monitor tests
- Implant heart devices like pacemakers and defibrillators
Cardiologists Who Perform Heart and Blood Vessel Procedures
Interventional cardiologists specialize in heart and blood vessel procedures. Electrophysiologists are cardiologists who specialize in the heart's electrical pathways.
Examples of What Interventional Cardiologists Do
- Perform cardiac catheterizations
- Perform angioplasty
- Implant stents (tiny metal mesh tubes) in arteries to keep them open, usually after an angioplasty has unblocked the blood vessels
Examples of What Electrophysiologists Do
- Perform electrophysiology testing
- Implant devices such as pacemakers (to speed up slow heartbeats), defibrillators (to correct very rapid heartbeats), and heart failure devices (to help coordinate the heart's pumping action)
- Evaluate Holter monitor tests
- Perform procedures related to heart rhythms, such as ablations
Surgeons Who Perform Cardiovascular Surgeries
Vascular and cardiac surgeons specialize in complex surgeries. Both types of surgeons perform bypass surgery, also called coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).
Examples of What Vascular Surgeons Do
- Perform bypass surgery
- Repair aneurysms (weak or burst blood vessels)
- Perform endarterectomy (to clear a blocked artery)
Examples of What Cardiac Surgeons Do
- Perform bypass surgery
- Repair and replace heart valves
- Repair tiny holes in the heart, known as atrial septal defects
- Peform heart transplants
- Perform procedures related to heart rhythms, such as ablations
When You Might Be Treated by Specialists
What Doctors Do
There is a lot of overlap in the descriptions of what different types of doctors do, for several reasons:
Geographical differences: rural areas might not have as many specialists.
Preferences: doctors might choose to do procedures they enjoy, even if that's not typical for their specialty.
Expertise: doctors can have more than one specialty.
Your cardiologist or primary care doctor might suggest that you have one of the procedures or surgeries listed above. In some hospitals you may meet with specialists—for example, a cardiac surgeon or electrophysiologist—before your procedure.
That's not the case in other hospitals or clinics; instead you may ask your cardiologist or primary care doctor any questions before your procedure. It just depends on how the medical team usually works with patients.
If you see different doctors, make sure you talk to each about:
- Medications you take
- Procedures or surgeries you've had
- Changes in diet or exercise that other doctors have suggested
When specialized doctors work together, you're more likely to have the most experienced people caring for you and offering you high-quality patient care.