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Heart specialists are trained professionals who provide medical care for the heart. There are four major types: cardiovascular technician, cardiovascular technologist, cardiologist, and cardiac surgeon. They perform a variety of non-invasive and invasive procedures, including tests, surgeries, and treatments. Specializations include pediatric cardiology and nuclear cardiology. Cardiac surgery requires extensive training and can involve congenital heart defect repairs, valve replacements, and heart transplants.
The heart is just one of the organs in the human body, but an organ that a person cannot live without. Therefore, people whose jobs involve caring for the heart are entering an important specialty that requires quality training. Heart specialist is a term applied to any one of a number of trained professionals who provide medical care directly involving the heart. Four major types of heart specialist are: cardiovascular technician, cardiovascular technologist, cardiologist, and cardiac surgeon.
Cardiovascular technicians perform a variety of non-invasive tests, both electrocardiogram (ECG) stress tests and Holter monitor procedures. These tests are used in routine physical exams, to identify problems with the heart, and as a precursor to surgery. The stress test is a brief test done on a treadmill, with the heart observed through an electrocardiogram monitor. A Holter monitor records the activity of a patient’s heart for 24 or more hours of the patient’s normal activity.
The heart specialist called a cardiovascular technologist performs both invasive and non-invasive procedures. Non-invasive procedures include echocardiography, in which ultrasound waves are used to form an image that helps assess heart function. Vascular sonography, another non-invasive procedure, is used to assess blood flow. Invasive procedures performed by cardiovascular technologists include cardiac catheterization.
A cardiologist is another type of heart specialist. A cardiologist is a doctor who focuses on diseases of the heart, arteries and veins, which together make up the cardiovascular system. Cardiologists are not trained in surgery. They treat patients with conditions such as arrhythmia, cerebrovascular disease, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, heart attack or myocardial infarction, and hypertension. They may also receive additional training in areas such as echocardiography, electrophysiology, interventional cardiology or nuclear cardiology.
There are specialized areas that cardiologists may choose to focus on. A pediatric cardiologist, for example, is a doctor who diagnoses and treats heart disease and abnormalities in patients from before birth to age 18. A nuclear cardiologist is a doctor who treats patients with radioactive material in non-invasive procedures.
Cardiac surgery is a medical specialty that requires among the longest periods of training. Cardiac surgeons perform procedures such as congenital heart defect repairs, valve replacements, heart transplants, and cardiopulmonary bypass. The designation “cardiothoracic surgeon” denotes a surgeon who focuses on the lungs and heart. Cardiac surgeons may also specialize in pediatric or adult surgery, and some specialize in a specific operation or procedure.
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