Need a Heart Specialist? What to Know Before You Go
Your heart is the size of your two hands clasped together. It’s an amazing muscle that beats 100,000 times a day and pumps blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels. It’s critically important to treat your heart well, and seeing your doctor regularly is a good step in preventing heart disease.
Daisy F. Lazarous, MD, a cardiologist and director of the Women’s Cardiovascular Program at Adventist HealthCare, answers common questions about what to expect when you see a heart specialist.
Q: How do you know it’s time to see a cardiologist?
Dr. Lazarous: Your primary care doctor can help you know if there’s a reason to see a cardiologist. For instance, certain factors may put you at a higher risk for heart disease and stroke. Additionally, you can discuss with your doctor whether you should schedule an appointment with a cardiologist if you experience or have any of the following:
• Chest pain, which can be a sign of heart attack. Call 911 if you think you are having a heart attack.
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• Shortness of breath, fast beating, pounding
or fluttering heart or dizziness
• Kidney disease
• Peripheral arterial disease
• Family history of heart disease
• History of smoking
Q: What can you expect at an appointment with a cardiologist?
Dr. Lazarous: A cardiologist will do a physical exam that includes listening to your heart. The doctor will ask you about any symptoms, medical history and family history and will be interested in your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood glucose or sugar levels, medications, exercise and diet. This information and any test results will allow the cardiologist to make a diagnosis so that you can better understand your risk for heart problems and manage those risks with your doctor’s help. The cardiologist may order medication, suggest healthier eating and increased exercise or schedule additional tests.
Q: There are many types of cardiologists. How do I know which one to see?
Dr. Lazarous: Cardiologists are experts in understanding your heart and blood vessels. Some have a specialized expertise in a medical or surgical area of heart care. Your primary care doctor can recommend the specialist that’s right for you.
• General Cardiologist: This doctor specializes in diagnosing and treating heart and vascular conditions and plays a key role in helping you manage your risk factors. If needed, a medical cardiologist also coordinates your care with other doctors and surgeons.
• Interventional Cardiologist: This doctor specializes in heart procedures, not surgery, using a tiny wire called a catheter to diagnose and treat heart conditions like coronary artery disease and valve disease. Procedures are done in the cardiac catheterization or cath lab.
• Electrophysiologist: This doctor specializes in diagnosing and treating heart rhythm problems. You may see an electrophysiologist if you have an irregular heartbeat condition, such as A-fib. Electrophysiologists perform catheter ablation and implant pacemakers and cardioverter defibrillators.
• Heart Failure Specialist: This doctor has training and expertise managing symptoms and delaying heart failure.
• Cardiac Surgeon: This doctor will work with you and your cardiologist and will perform heart surgery.
