Cardiologists are doctors specializing in internal medicine with a subspecialization focusing on the heart and cardiovascular system (veins and arteries). The education a cardiologist must possess is a premed bachelors degree, medical school graduate degree, and then a residency in internal medicine, and a two to three year fellowship in a cardiological specialization. Cardiologists diagnose and treat:
- Congenital heart defects
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart failure
- Myocardial (heart muscle tissue) problems
- Valvular diesease
- Pericardial (outer heart lining) problems
- Abnormal electrophysiology (dealing with heart rhythm)
Currently, 30% of the deaths in the US are due to heart disease. The heart, blood, and vasculature ensures that oxygen and nutrients reach all 75 trillion cells of the body. The blood moving through vessels also carries waste products and carbon dioxide away for elimination. Some people are born with problems in the cardiovascular system. The majority of people, however, have heart problems because of poor diet and lack of physical exercise resulting in arterial plaques that block blood flow to the heart. Lack of oxygen to any part of the heart muscle causes ischemic tissue damage or death. Heart disease need not be a death sentence, and that is where cardiologists and making good personal choices comes in. Expanded knowledge of the heart assists cardiologists in helping patients to treat some heart problems resume life in as normal a manner as possible-hopefully without further damage. Most cardiologists do not perform surgeries, but some do catheterization and angioplasty. Some cardiologists just do noninvasive diagnostic testing and helping patients with drug therapy, lifestyle, and diet changes.
While it is possible to live with one functioning kidney, or with a lobe missing from a lung or liver- there is no replacing the heart when it fails. The expectations of a patient seeking specialized physicians is that they will have more knowledge than a general physician in their selected area and be able to offer better treatment options. Specialization in medicine also means knowing advances in treatment and drugs- and which drugs have failed to help patients. Physicians of all specializations and levels of training can and do make mistakes. Medication errors are the most commonly made provider error, whether the provider is a cardiologist or a general physician. Medication errors can be in the form of the wrong medicine prescribed, the wrong dosage, contraindications were not checked, or drug interactions were not checked with current prescriptions. Other types of provider errors that a cardiologist might make are a misdiagnosis, failure to treat, misreading of lab tests, or failing to obtain informed consent before treatment.
If you believe you or a loved one experienced a worsening of a condition, an injury, or death at the hands of a cardiologist, then call the Sweeney Law Firm so we can review the facts. You may have a cardiology medical provider malpractice case. If we decide to accept your case, there is will be no cost for representation unless there is a settlement or a recovery of funds for you.