How to choose a cardiologist

Whether in matters of love or of medical care, putting your heart in someone else’s hands can feel harrowing. In this guide, a top consultant cardiologist shares how patients can choose the best cardiologist for their heart issues.

As hearts are essential to the function of the entire body, it is paramount to keep them in the best condition possible. However, unfortunately, issues can occur despite our best efforts. Heart problems can develop alongside other illnesses, after an accident or trauma, or as a result of genetic and personal factors.

Issues that can plague the heart include:

• Arrhythmia
• Coronary heart disease
• Valvular disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Congenital heart diseases

Even though the heart is a small organ, many things can go wrong with it, so when looking into cardiologists, patients should bear in mind that not a one-size-fits-all and cardiologists will have specific areas of expertise – one may specialise in electrophysiology, another may specialise in cardiac imagining, and a third may specialise in interventional cardiology.

Thus, in order to find the right cardiologist for you, keep in mind the following:

What is your cardiac concern and what type of cardiologist do you need?

If something feels off about your heart, be specific with the details. Consider your symptoms – are you experiencing pain, fatigue, or abnormal heart rates? Does the dysfunction have a specific trigger, or is it persistent? Do other members of your family have similar issues? Is this a longstanding condition or has it recently developed? What do your day-to-day diet and physical activity look like, and how are your work and home environments? Are you looking just to get tested and diagnosed, or what approaches to treatment are you willing to explore?

Already by having the answers to these questions, you can streamline the process and eliminate many cardiologists that will not fit your needs, even if you don’t know yet the exact nature of your illness. Some of the types of cardiologists include:

• General adult cardiologists can treat a wide range of pathologies like atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and heart failure, but may lack the experience, skills, and technology needed to perform more specialised treatments.
• Cardiac imaging specialists provide services to scan and create visuals of the heart through a variety of methods in order to diagnose and evaluate conditions of the heart. This can include echocardiograms, electrocardiograms, MRIs, and CT scans.
• Electrophysiologists are well-versed in the electroactivity of the heart, so they are perfect for diagnosing and treating heart arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation and bradycardia, and can perform treatments like cardiac ablation and cardiac device implantation.
• Congenital heart specialists provide ongoing care for chronic cardiac issues that manifest from birth, monitoring your condition over time with regular appointments and bespoke treatment plans.
• Interventional cardiologists use catheters to clear blockages, repair valves, and dilate vessels in a minimally invasive way. Though some procedures necessitate open surgery, patients tend to prefer to undergo procedures that involve less scarring, blood loss, and intensive recovery when available.
• Cardiac rehabilitation specialists facilitate during recovery after a heart attack or surgery, providing patients with resources, exercises, and lifestyle advice to best take care of their hearts post-procedure, to minimise complications and avoid future revisions or further heart events.
• Cardio-oncologists assist patients who are undergoing cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy and may experience heart problems as a result of those abrasive therapies.

Is this cardiologist accessible to you?

Once you know what kind of cardiologist you need, the next step is finding a specific one. Research cardiologists in your area, or that you can reach without too much difficulty. If you will need multiple appointments with them, consider if you are able to get to their clinic without assistance and if it is fiscally possible for you to do so on numerous occasions. If your condition is sensitive, or if you are at risk of an emergency, is this cardiologist within reasonable reach for urgent or unscheduled care? Would attending appointments pose a risk for you to do without accompaniment, or add unneeded strain to you?

It is also important to consider the costs of this cardiologist. Are they within your budget? Are their services covered in your insurance plan, and do they accept your insurance?

What are the cardiologist’s reputation and credentials?

After finding a cardiologist who seems suitable, it is important to research their background – what are their qualifications?  Are they accredited to perform the procedure you are looking to receive? Are they affiliated with respectable institutions, and are there any testimonies that you can find that can attest to their skills and knowledge regarding your condition? Ideally, the cardiologist you are seen by is esteemed in their field, is up-to-date with the latest innovations, treatments, and technologies, and has conducted extensive research and studies into your particular ailment.

Ask friends and community members for advice for finding an appropriate cardiologist, and should you have family members who have the same or similar cardiac issue as you, you can ask about their experience with their cardiologist and their treatment for recommendations – or warnings.

Does the cardiologist understand you as the patient?

If you think you have found a cardiologist you like, set up a consultation before undergoing any tests or procedures. Communicate clearly with them about your condition and concerns, and ask any and all questions regarding what their approach to your care would be. It is vital that you feel understood and comfortable in their hands, and that you can trust in their expertise and abilities to treat your condition. They should be equally transparent with you about options, expectations, possibilities and risks. In short, you should feel empowered and in control of any decisions, and that things are being explained clearly to you.