Cardiology or Cardiovascular medicine is a sub-specialty of internal medicine. Cardiology is a division of medicine which deals with the diagnosis and treatment related to heart disorders. It is the specialization related to one of the most important organs of our body and as such it has much significance in medical science too.
Medical practitioners who deal with heart disorders are generally termed as Cardiologists. Cardiologists analyses and deal with cardiovascular or circulatory illness and disorders. This means the heart; blood vessels and many other parts of the body are a primary focus for a cardiologist. A cardiologist is a doctor of the heart, arteries and veins. Cardiologists provide diagnosis and treatment of heart failure, congenital heart defects and coronary artery disease. This includes problems caused by restricted circulation due to narrowing of the arteries, problems in the heart valves, damage to the muscle tissue, and disorders of the pericardium.
A primary role for cardiologists is consulting with patients to understand more about their symptoms and health concerns so that they can prescribe treatment and arrange tests or surgery when required.
Cardiologists maintain in-depth notes of every appointment with a patient so that a current record of every patient’s data can be consulted when necessary. This includes any comments from appointments, treatments prescribed, and test results.
Cardiologists carry out a variety of tests to check the performance of a patient’s heart, from pulmonary hypertension tests to cardiac biopsies. These are always carried out in sterile environments under strict privacy and health and safety guidelines that all healthcare professionals must adhere to.
If necessary, for the patient’s health, cardiologists perform cardiovascular surgery. This might include fitting a pacemaker or more complex surgical interventions that require several team members and long hours.
Sometimes cardiologists use medical imaging equipment to detect and treat cardiovascular problems to avoid invasive procedures if possible. This involves using CT and MRI scanners to highlight any disease or health concerns that can then be treated accordingly.