Any time you have a significant heart or related condition, you may require the attention of a cardiologist. Symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pains, or dizzy spells often require special testing. Heart murmurs or ECG changes are best evaluated by a cardiologist. Most importantly, cardiologists treat heart attacks, heart failure, and serious heart rhythm disturbances. Their skills and training are required for decisions about heart catheterization, balloon angioplasty, heart surgery, and other procedures.
A pacemaker is a device which helps to regulate your heartbeat and produce electrical impulses that make the heart pump regularly.
This refers to various abnormalities of the heart which are present at birth. The abnormalities can be of the following:
- Holes in the walls ( Septum) separating the chambers.
- Narrowing of valves or blood vessels.
- Abnormal location of blood vessels attached to the heart.
The major risk factors for heart disease are smoking, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, lack of exercise,, obesity, diabetes, old age, male gender, and heredity (family history of heart disease),post menopause incase of women.
- One week before surgery, stop taking antiplatelet drugs like aspirin, clopidogrel etc.
- Your Cardiologist will instruct you about which medications to take.
- You do not need to bring any medication with you to the hospital unless you are specifically instructed to do so, but do bring a list of the medications and the dosages you take.
- Inform your doctor well in advance about any medications you are allergic to.
- Do not eat anything after midnight the night before your surgery, unless otherwise instructed.
- You may take water with your usual medication if your doctor has instructed you to take it the morning of the procedure.
- Anyhow, your anesthetist and Cardiac surgeon will give you instructions regarding the number of hours you need to be on starvation before the procedure.