The Doctor is Right

December 13, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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You have some chest pain, a little indigestion. You take some antacids, stop eating greasy foods so much and figure it will go away. It does not. You try the antacids again, drink more water, maybe cut out the greasy foods altogether. It gets a little better, but it is still there. You are too busy to go to the doctor right now. You will get around to it. What if it is something more serious? What if you should get it checked out. Your spouse makes an appointment for you because they are tired of hearing you complain, and they are concerned it might be something more.

You head to the doctor’s office. The doctor gives you a check up, scolds you about the usual, you should lose some weight, smoking should definitely be cut out, get a little exercise. Just to be sure he does an electrocardiogram, a tracing of your heart. He sees something. Maybe it is nothing, maybe it is something that should be taken care of. He sends you to a cardiologist, the heart doctor.

The cardiologist does some further testing and finds out that you actually may have a blocked valve or something else going on in your heart. He sends you for a cardiac cauterization. This test puts a wire directly into the veins that go to the heart to see if there is a blockage. If there is a blockage, the doctor can place a stent, a little metal piece that will hold the valve open so that it can do its job. You can also have more than one stent placed. In extreme cases, he may need to use veins from other parts of your body to replace blocked or damaged veins, bypass surgery. It also may be something that can be handled with medicine. Whatever the case, listen to your body, and then listen to your doctor.

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Who Needs a Cardiovascular Surgeon?

October 24, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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Cardiovascular surgeons perform operations on the heart and blood vessels. The need for cardiovascular surgery can arise out of a congenital condition, or coronary disease that occurs later in a patient’s life. Lifestyle factors can play a part in the onset of heart disease, with those who are obese, are smokers, diabetic or have high levels of cholesterol being most at risk from developing heart disease.

All heart professionals espouse the very real benefits of preventative measures when it comes to heart health. Maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle with a diet rich with fresh fruit and vegetables and a balance of the four food groups together with regular exercise and not smoking gives the human heart the greatest chance of a long and healthy life.  Even little exercise such as golfing is a way to prolong your life.  Golf is an exciting escapade for family fun or just a couple. Florida vacation home rentals are the best way to enjoy over 1,000 golf courses in Florida.

Of course, not all heart patients go under the knife because they have made lived out ill advised lifestyle choices. Patients born with a hole in their heart or some other defect will require the expertise of a cardiovascular surgeon to improve the quality of their life by reducing pain or curing the condition they are suffering with.

What operations does a heart professional carry out?
The range of heart surgeries is vast, and each one is a complex and intricate process that requires the immense skill and knowledge of only the most highly trained medical professionals. Whether it’s inserting a pacemaker, carrying out heart bypass surgery or a heart transplant for the most extreme cases, heart surgery is never a small undertaking. However, advances in technology have reduced the severity of some procedures.

Some operations that were open heart surgeries (where the chest is opened to allow the surgeon to gain access to the heart) are now carried out through just a few small incisions. A coronary bypass procedure is one example where a less invasive method can be used. The troubled artery is accessed through a small incision which is far better for the patient as it speeds up recovery time when compared with the more invasive alternative.

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What Does a Cardiovascular Surgeon Do?

August 19, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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When a person suffers a heart condition that puts their life or long term quality of life at risk, they may be referred to a cardiovascular surgeon. Surgery is always the last intervention after other treatments have been attempted. Undergoing surgery is a not a decision taken lightly by doctors, but for many heart patients, surgery is the only way to restore their health.

There are a number of more common operations performed on the heart. A coronary bypass is a procedure that many people have heard of but not everyone knows exactly what this entails. A coronary bypass is carried out when a person has a major blockage in one of the arteries feeding into or out of the heart. When an artery is blocked, the surgeon will take a portion of blood vessel from another part of the patient’s body and insert it so that it bypasses the blocked artery and allows the blood to flow again. Where there is more than one blockage, a triple or even a quadruple heart bypass may be required.

When a person’s heart is not beating fast enough, or there is a problem with the heart’s capacity to maintain a regular heart beat with its natural pacemaker, they may become a candidate for an artificial pacemaker. An artificial pacemaker is inserted into the heart to send electrical impulses through electrodes which are attached to the heart muscles. This is done to regulate the patient’s heart beat.

A heart transplant is the very last resort reserved for patients with the most life threatening coronary disease or heart condition. As with all organ transplants, there is a waiting list and no guarantee of a new heart being available as soon as the patient needs it.

All heart operations are testament to the skills of heart professionals and the many years of training and study that they have undertaken to reach the level of competence required to carry out such complex and intricate operations.

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Cardiovascular Professions | Heart Surgeons

August 15, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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A cardiac surgeon, or heart surgeon, performs surgery on the heart and blood vessels. These medical doctors go through years of intense academic and clinical training. They encourage a healthy lifestyle, including exercise and proper nutrition, and specializes exclusively in medical issues related to the heart.

A healthy, functioning heart is of utmost importance to an individual’s health. If a person is experiencing heart problems that pose a serious health risk, surgery will be considered. There are a various types of heart surgery.

Coronary artery bypass surgery is one of the most common types. The heart surgeon must bypass the blockage of the coronary using a blood vessel taken from another area of the body. The first successful coronary artery bypass was undertaken in the 1960′s, and since then, the field of cardiovascular medicine has seen the introduction of many improvements and new surgical techniques. One of the most exciting advancements may be the introduction of a rather new technique called minimally invasive coronary artery bypass. Unlike traditional open-heart surgery, this procedure gains access to the coronary arteries through a very small incision above the heart.

Other common procedures include triple and quadruple bypasses, along with heart transplants. Because of the delicate nature of these surgeries and the fact that advancements are being made constantly, heart surgeons must undergo many years of post-secondary education.

The majority of cardiac surgeons begin their educational paths with a four-year Bachelor of Science degree, though a Bachelor of Arts is also permissible. Upon graduation comes four years of medical school, earning the student the title of Medical Doctor, or M.D. Then, five years of study in general surgery is required. The final step in training is a cardiothoracic training program of two to three years. Even more training may be mandatory for certain specialties, and a licensing exam must be passed before being allowed to practice.

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