Cardiologists are physicians who identify and treat heart problems. They examine and test patients to find out if their symptoms are signs of heart disease.
The first step of an interview with a patient is reviewing their medical history. Then the cardiologist will perform a physical examination, which includes listening to the heart. Sometimes cardiologists can tell if the patient has heart problems if they have an irregular beat.
A cardiologist may need to send a patient to get special tests to diagnose and evaluate their symptoms. They may have a common test like an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). An EKG measures electrical activity from heart contractions and it copies a graph for the cardiologists to review. These tests can detect a lot of different problems.
Yet another test is cardiac catheterization. Here, a tiny tube is inserted through a blood vessel near, or into, the heart. Then pictures of the heart can be taken. Cardiologists examine the pictures to help them diagnose diseases and evaluate the body's electrical system.
There is another test called an echocardiogram. In this procedure, faint high-pitched sounds are sent into the body. The echoes are plotted and create the picture of the heart. A stress echocardiogram evaluates the heart by measuring the amount of blood going to the muscles before and after a person exercises.
Cardiologists don't perform surgery, thoracic surgeons do. Lots of these surgeons consult with, and get advice from, cardiologists. Cardiologists give their patients advice to prevent heart disease. The advice will usually include exercising and eating right.
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There are three different procedures to make sure your heart is healthy:
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What Does A Cardiologist Do?
Clinical Cardiovascular Associates
19550 E. 39th St.
Suite 225
Independence, MO 64057
Phone: (816)-795-5595
Fax: (816)-795-6358
9119 W. 74th St.
Suite 350
Shawnee Mission, KS 66204
Phone: (913)-789-3290
Fax: (913)-789-3208
Business Hours:
Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Licensed • Insured
