My Future Career - Cardiologist
By: Shahmeen Irshad
College Now Course - SD 11
What Is A Cardiologist & What Do They Do?
A cardiologist is a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases
or conditions of the heart and blood vessels. Cardiologists can treat people who have
conditions or diseases such as chest pain (angina), irregular heart rhythms, heart
failure, high blood pressure, or heart attacks. Cardiologists often perform tests
or procedures that indicate how well a person's heart is working. These tests or procedures
may include a treadmill test (exercise electrocardiogram) and/or angioplasty. Cardiologists
can further specialize in interventional cardiology or electrophysiology. Cardiologists
may also specialize in treating specific age groups, such as a pediatric cardiologist,
who only treats children.
Interventional Cardiology (Invasive):
I want to specialize in interventional cardiology (invasive), interventional cardiologists
are medical doctors who specialize in performing procedures to diagnose and treat
heart disease. Interventional cardiologists may perform procedures such as cardiac
angioplasty. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), or angioplasty,
is an invasive procedure performed to reduce or eliminate blockages in coronary arteries.
The goal of PTCA is to restore blood flow to blood-deprived heart tissue, reduce the
need for medication, and eliminate or reduce the number of episodes of angina (chest
pain). Opening a blockage, or a plaque, in a coronary artery typically involves the
use of an angioplasty balloon. When the blockage is calcified or so dense that a balloon
cannot be placed, other devices are used. Plaque can be cut out, ablated with a laser,
or bored out using a surgical drill bit. Often, a stent is implanted after angioplasty
to keep the artery open and prevent restenosis (regrowth of plaque). More than one
blockage can be treated during a single session, depending on the location of the
blockages and the patient's condition. The procedure can take 30 minutes to several
hours, depending on the number of blockages being treated.
