Description

Cardiology is the treatment of diseases of the heart and blood vessels. A cardiologist is a physician who specializes in treating heart conditions such as abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks, coronary artery disease, congenital heart defects, and disease of the heart valves. A cardiologist can inform your doctor about new drugs or tests that may be beneficial to you.

Some heart conditions can cause permanent damage to the heart muscle, and can be fatal. Methods that cardiologists use to study heart conditions include stress tests, a monitor to record your heart rate and rhythm, a biopsy, which studies a tiny piece of heart tissue, and an echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to show a picture of how your heart works.

Diseases / Illnesses Treated

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are Peripheral Vascular Disease, Blood Clot, angioplasty, Hypertension, Angina, Congestive heart failure, Heart Attack, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary heart disease, Pericarditis, Atherosclerosis, Cardiac Arrest, Acute Coronary Syndrome, Ventricular Tachycardia, Myxoma, Bigeminy, Heart block, Cardiac Arrhythmias, Mitral valve disorders, and Congenital pulmonic stenosis.

Procedures Performed

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including Gastric Bypass Surgery, Open Heart Surgery, Valve Repair, Valve Replacement, Bypass Surgery, Catheter Ablation, Cardiac Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Carotid Artery Surgery, Atherectomy, Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, Cardiac Bypass Surgery, Heart Transplantation, Laser Angioplasty, Coronary Bypass Surgery, Balloon Angioplasty, Carotid Surgery, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, Valvuloplasty, and Cardiovascular Surgery.

Tests Performed

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), Holter Monitor, Cardiac Stress Test, Echocardiogram, Blood Test, Sphygmomanometer, Cardiac Enzymes, IVUS, Electrophysiologic study, and Coronary Catheterization.