It’s important to match with the right cardiologist, especially when dealing with something as complex as cardiovascular disease. Your cardiologist will treat your heart condition and refer you to the right specialist if further care is required.
Finding the right cardiologist to care for your heart can be difficult. With the various subspecialties of cardiology, it can be confusing to know which one is qualified to handle your specific cardiovascular needs. The amount of cardiology specialties can seem overwhelming, but it is reassuring to know that these are doctors who have devoted their lives to learning more about the different areas of the heart. Some areas of specialized cardiology include:
General cardiology – Cardiologists who treat patients at risk for cardiovascular disease. These cardiologists will create treatment plans to help minimize a patient’s risk of a heart attack.
Invasive cardiology – Cardiologists that perform cardiac catheterization to check for blocked arteries or damaged heart valves. Invasive cardiologists perform procedures such as stenting and angioplasty.
Interventional cardiology – Cardiologists that specialize in performing minimally invasive procedures that treat patients with heart disease. Interventional cardiologists perform catheter-based procedures that repair weakened blood vessels or improve narrow arteries.
Non-invasive cardiology – Cardiologists who specialize in external testing to diagnose cardiac issues. Examples of non-invasive cardiology include CT scan, stress tests, heart monitors, and echocardiography.
Electrophysiologist – Cardiologist that tests and treats heart arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats. If your heartbeat is too fast, too slow, or you receive a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, you may be referred to an electrophysiologist.
Cardio-oncologist – Cardiologists that evaluate and treat cancer patients who are at risk of heart disease either before or after cancer treatment.
Pediatric cardiologist – Cardiologist who cares for pediatric patients that develop cardiac-related issues or have congenital heart disease. Pediatric cardiologists typically treat children up until the age of 18.
Should your cardiac needs go beyond your primary care physician’s abilities, they will help refer you to the correct specialist. The Trinity Medical cardiology team work alongside each other to determine which specialist is right to handle your cardiovascular health, and determine the best treatment possible to ensure you live a long, healthy life.
