If you have your eyes set on visiting a cardiologist clinic in Seng Kang, it is important to know that these specialty doctors are not the same. There are different subspecialties in cardiology, so the right type of heart doctor you should see at the Seng Kang clinic will depend on your primary aim for the treatment.
If you are not sure about the kind of cardiologist you need to see, you may need to check with your primary doctor for recommendations on the right cardiologist for you. They will examine your symptoms and then refer you to the most relevant heart doctor. Find out more about the different subspecialties in cardiology below.
What are the Different Cardiology Subspecialties?
Now, a cardiologist’s primary area of practice is diagnosis and treatment of problems of the heart and the surrounding arteries. There are three different classifications of cardiologists, though; invasive cardiologists, non-invasive cardiologists and interventional cardiologists.
If you visit your Seng Kang clinic for heart problems, your cardiologist will have to look into several variables to be able to determine the potential cause of the heart problem you are dealing with. For example, they may want to assess the condition of your blood vessels, your heart and even the arteries.
When determining the possible cause of your complications, your cardiologist at the Seng Kang clinic may check and even test your blood pressure and look into your medical history. They will also want to know more about your lifestyle with special interest in whether you smoke and whether you live an active lifestyle.
You can also expect the heart doctor to check your heart function and even test it or run a battery of tests which may range from blood tests, X-rays, electrocardiograms to discover the primary problem. There are cardiologists who specialize in pediatric cardiology as well and those who specialize in adult cardiology.
This is another important aspect you may want to know when planning to visit a Seng Kang clinic to see your cardiologist especially if you’re seeking help for a child or another elderly person. Do note that cardiologists can perform several procedures in diagnosing or treating the heart’s complications, but they are not surgeons.
Therefore, if you aim to get physical heart surgery, you will need to work with a cardiac surgeon who, in this case, is a specialist in heart surgeries. Here are the different types of cardiologists you can find at a Seng Kang clinic for heart disease diagnosis or treatment.
● Invasive Cardiologists
In invasive cardiology, your cardiologist can treat electrical or structural issues of the heart structure through minimally invasive or open surgeries. They can also use the same technique in identifying anomalies in your heart structure.
There are two types of invasive cardiology procedures that may be recommended for you at the Seng Kang clinic if your treatment warrants such procedures. These options include Angioplasty and Stenting.
Angioplasty may be recommended for you if your arteries are clogged with plaque, impacting the natural blood flow. If you are approved for angioplasty, your cardiologist will insert a tiny balloon into the clogged arteries. This will help push the plaque and ensure a better blood flow.
Stenting is, in most cases, done with angioplasty. In this treatment, your doctor will use a medical-grade cardiac stent to keep your clogged arteries open permanently to help you eliminate the risks of heart attack or disease.
● Non-invasive Cardiology
The treatments under this group involve identifying heart issues without using any medical instruments that would need to be inserted into your body during an invasive cardiology assessment or treatment. Therefore you can expect the provider at the Seng Kang clinic to go about your treatment without using any fluids or needles, among other instruments.
Here’s a quick roundup of the techniques that can be used in examining your heart under non-invasive cardiology.
- CT scans: These tests involve the production of images which helps in the examination of your heart health and checking for issues like atherosclerosis.
- Stress tests: These types of tests are used to determine how your heart performs when subjected to physical stress. You will need to engage in exercises that will be monitored.
- Nuclear cardiology: Nuclear cardiology involves using different types of imaging to study potential disorders of the heart. This procedure may involve the use of radioactive elements.
- Cardiac electrophysiology is another relatively common heart health assessment option that may be recommended during your treatment. It involves the study and careful examination of the electric currents that work to generate your heartbeats.
- Heart Monitors: Also known as cardiac event recorders or Holter monitors, heart monitors are used in recording your heart’s electrical activity. The activities, in this case, are monitored for specified durations.
- Echocardiography: In this technique, your cardiologist will use ultrasound waves in creating images of your heart and surrounding heart structures. They can help identify any structural abnormalities in your heart, infections and how your heart pumps blood.
● Interventional Cardiology
Interventional cardiology involves repairing narrowed arteries and weakened or damaged blood vessels, among other structural abnormalities. Some of the conditions that your cardiologist at the Seng Kang clinic can help you manage through interventional cardiology include coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, and peripheral vascular disease.
Other than the treatments, your cardiologist at the Seng Kang clinic can also give you helpful advice on how you can prevent heart disease. Therefore, it is still important that you see your cardiologist even when you still do not have any symptoms, but you have some risk factors for heart disease.
The common instances when you may still need to visit the Seng Kang clinic for a heart health checkups even when you still do not have symptoms include; having high cholesterol, family or medical history of heart disease, diabetes, or smoking. There are also symptoms that may indicate heart disease, which may warrant an immediate appointment with your cardiologist at the Seng Kang clinic.
In this case, the symptoms you will need to be wary of include; shortness of breath, dizziness, frequent fainting, chest pains, and heart flutters.
In Closing
A knowledgeable general practitioner will help you schedule appointments with the right type of cardiologist. If you already have a recommendation to visit a Seng Kang clinic and see a qualified heart doctor, call us today to arrange for your appointments and see how we can be of help.
Sunrise Heart Clinic – Cardiologist, Heart Screening, Heart Specialist
365 Sembawang Cres, #01-02, Singapore 750365
+65 6235 1137