No matter who you are, there’s a heart doctor waiting to take care of you. Every year, nearly 400,000 adults and children undergo open-heart surgery in the US alone — that’s one every 38 minutes! There is no better reason than this to know precisely who and what might be responsible for your continuing health.
Throughout this article, we’re going to explore how Cardiologist works with their patients before and after surgery. The information that follows should help get you to know your cardiologist, get you to understand what your heart doctor does after surgery, and encourage you to get the answers you need from your cardiologist. And if you have any questions or concerns about how a heart attack or open-heart surgery may have affected you, this article will provide answers.
First thing’s first: a heart surgeon is a surgeon who specializes in the entire cardiovascular system — making it possible for surgeons to perform open-heart operations using minimally invasive techniques. Read more about the differences between a cardiothoracic surgeon and an open-heart surgeon.
What a Cardiologist Is and Isn’t
Now that you’re an expert on heart doctors, let’s take a closer look at how to best get information from your cardiologist. First, a little common knowledge about how the heart works. You have to remember that it takes two main parts for the heart to do its job: the skin and the muscle. It’s because of these two things racing around in circles so fast that blood can flow through our veins and arteries.
Now that you’re familiar with the different parts of the heart, you need to know that a cardiologist has an important job to do. They use their expertise to determine what’s wrong with your heart and how it can be treated. Additionally, cardiologists are the ones who treat blocked arteries in heart patients, they work closely with patients after angioplasty to make sure their arteries are clear for circulation, and they also perform catheterizations when examining blood flow through arteries.
When You Need a Cardiologist
Because life after open-heart surgery is critical, you should make sure to get second opinions before your surgery is scheduled. This is particularly true if you are experiencing chest pain or shortness of breath. It’s also important to talk with your doctor because you may have questions about how your surgery will affect your future health.
These are the signs you should be looking for:
Shortness of breath or pain in the chest, neck, or arms.
Chest pain persists after exercise.
What a Cardiologist Does After Surgery: A Specialty As Well as a Job Description (And This Is Important!)
The cardiologist uses their expertise to monitor and evaluate patients after they’ve undergone heart surgery — especially patients who’ve undergone an open-heart operation. They’re doctors who, in most cases, specialize in the cardiovascular system. This means they provide treatment for heart issues, perform catheterizations when examining blood flow through arteries, and determine what is wrong with an irregular heartbeat.
After surgery, if the patient is stable, the cardiologist will go over all of your medications with you. These may include blood thinners or medications that will relax your artery walls to increase blood flow to your heart. They also check to make sure that you’re not experiencing any arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat). The cardiologist monitors carefully for these arrhythmias because they could lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
The cardiologist works closely with patients after open-heart surgery to make sure that they are following the doctors’ recommendations. The most important “routine” after open-heart surgery is physical activity.
After Surgery, Cardiologists Focus on Physical Activity
Cardiologists are watching you even when you’re exercising. They say 30 minutes is best for most people, several times each week. This will help your heart work better in general, even before surgery is scheduled. Additionally, they say it is absolutely critical not only to exercise after open-heart surgery but also to keep an eye on your heart rate while you’re working out.
