Cardiology is part of internal medicine. It deals with the detection and treatment of congenital and acquired diseases of:
- heart
- circulation
- Vessels close to the heart and the
- pericardium
Pediatric cardiology is not part of internal medicine, but is affiliated with pediatric and adolescent medicine.
In addition to the ECG, echocardiography plays an important role in instrumental diagnostics.
Conservative and interventional (surgical) therapies are used for treatment.
Surgical interventions on the heart are usually performed at a cardiology clinic. Cardiology clinics offer a wide range of services.
It ranges from the diagnosis of high blood pressure and simple catheter interventions to complex heart transplants. Conservative therapy focuses on drugs.
Cardiology treats patients with cardiovascular diseases @ Charlie's /AdobeStock
The treatment and therapy of congenital and acquired cardiovascular diseases belongs in the hands of a cardiologist. If the disease is severe enough, a heart center specializing in heart disease is the best facility.
Depending on the cause and severity of the disorder, conservative and surgical treatments are available to the cardiology specialist.
The main areas of conservative therapy are
- Treatment with medication: The most important groups of medication are nitrates and molsidomine, beta receptor blockers, calcium antagonists, ACE inhibitors and diuretics.
- Therapy of a possible underlying disease
- Stopping and changing harmful lifestyle habits
- Electrocardioversion (electrical treatment, "electric shock") for some cardiac arrhythmias
- Exercise therapy to improve cardiac performance
Surgical interventions are usually performed in clinics. All the necessary equipment and experienced staff are available there for emergencies.
Most cardiology clinics also have a catheter laboratory where not only cardiac catheter examinations (coronary angiography) but also surgical catheter treatments are carried out.
Surgical options in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases include, for example
A stent is a medical implant made of metal that doctors place in the vessels of the heart @ peterschreiber.media /AdobeStock
Every examination begins with an anamnesis (taking the patient's medical history) and a clinical examination.
Various technical procedures are used to determine the cause or extent of the disease.
These include recording the electrical signals of the heart. This is done as a simple ECG or over a longer period of time as a long-term ECG.
This provides information on various heart diseases, circulatory disorders and cardiac arrhythmias.
As some disorders only become apparent under physical stress, an exercise ECG may also be necessary. This is particularly important in the case of coronary heart disease.
The following areas can be assessed using an X-ray examination of the chest:
- Heart cavities
- Aorta
- Condition of the lungs
Heart cavities and heart valves can also be visualized well with echocardiography(ultrasound examination).
The exercise ECGmeasures the performance of the heart @ Yistocking /AdobeStock
Other important examinations are
- Myocardial scintigraphy to visualize the heart muscle
- Radionuclide ventriculography to visualize the beating of the heart chamber
- Cardiac catheterization to determine the pressure in the heart cavities and on the heart valves and to test the function of the heart
- Performance and assessment of angiocardiographies and coronary angiographies to visualize the coronary arteries
- Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)
Cardiology specialists are usually called specialists in internal medicine and cardiology (cardiologists).
Prospective cardiologists must complete at least 6 years of further training in internal medicine and general medicine as well as cardiology.
A model training regulation issued by the German Medical Association specifies which examination and treatment procedures must be carried out and how often.
For example, future cardiologists must have carried out at least 500 echocardiographies and at least 300 left heart catheter examinations.
It is not possible to designate a clinic as the "best clinic" or "top clinic" for cardiology. However, there are doctors and clinics that specialize in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. They therefore have a great deal of experience. You can find these cardiology experts in the Leading Medicine Guide.
Only selected, highly qualified medical experts and specialists are presented in the Leading Medicine Guide.
All listed doctors have a high level of specialist expertise and excellent experience in the field of cardiology. They therefore fulfill the strict inclusion criteria of the Leading Medicine Guide.
