Receiving a diagnosis related to the heart or blood vessels can be frightening.
“Heart disease can be confusing at first,” says Michael Mack, MD, a heart surgeon and the chair of Baylor Scott & White Health’s cardiovascular governing council. “With many types of heart disease and various treatments to address them, our patients need information and support to make sense of the diagnosis and feel empowered to make decisions that match the lifestyle they are hoping to have and the outcomes that are most meaningful to them.”
Learning more about your diagnosis
Cardiovascular disease is the term for diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels. The term “heart disease” is usually used as a catch-all phrase for many conditions that affect the heart’s structure and function, including:
- Heart rhythm problems, also called arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (A Fib)
- Heart valve disease, which prevents the valves in the heart from functioning properly, thereby impeding forward blood flow
- Blood vessel disease, such as peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
- Heart attacks, usually caused by blocked blood vessels of the heart
- Heart infection, termed endocarditis
- Heart failure, or weakness of the heart, which can be caused by diseases of the heart muscle
“If you receive the diagnosis of a heart problem, it’s important to see a specialist in heart diseases, such as a cardiologist. There are many types of heart problems, and sometimes it requires a particular type of cardiologist to take care of an issue,” says Jeffrey Schussler, MD, an interventional cardiologist on the medical staff and chief medical officer for Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas. The hospital received from U.S. News & World Report a high-performing rating for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm, heart attack and heart failure — a feat achieved by fewer than a third of all hospitals in the U.S. “The good news is that with newer technology and therapies, we have great success in treating many different types of heart problems, large and small.”
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Understanding the many professionals that will likely be involved in your care
Comprehensive care for cardiovascular conditions requires a team approach, and there will likely be many different professionals on your care team. In addition to cardiovascular nursing and allied health professionals, there are several different specialists who may become involved in your care.
Cardiologists are the heart specialists who can be the first cardiovascular professionals a patient meets with when risk factors or symptoms signal that a higher level of care is needed. Cardiologists have completed medical school and additional training in internal medicine, followed by a cardiology fellowship to learn how to treat problems of the heart and blood vessels. She or he will coordinate with your primary care physician and others who might be involved in your care.
Some cardiologists further specialize in different aspects of cardiovascular care, including interventional cardiologists, who diagnose and treat heart conditions using minimally invasive techniques, often in cardiac catheterization laboratories (or “cath labs”); cardiac electrophysiologists, who diagnose and treat heart rhythm conditions; heart failure cardiologists, who specialize in delaying the progression of heart failure; general or preventive cardiologists who manage risk factors causing heart disease; and cardio-oncologists, who help manage heart complications of patients with cancer.
Surgeons may join your care team to assist in managing or treating a condition that may or may not require surgery. Cardiothoracic or heart surgeons specialize in surgical procedures of the heart, lungs, esophagus and other organs in the chest and include cardiac surgeons, cardiovascular surgeons, general thoracic surgeons and congenital heart surgeons. These professionals can perform bypass surgery, valve repair or replacement procedures, implant artificial heart devices and even perform heart or lung transplants.
Vascular surgeons may be involved on the care team for patients with conditions in the arteries and veins in multiple parts of the body outside of the brain and the heart. These conditions can include peripheral arterial disease (PAD), carotid artery disease and abdominal or thoracic aortic aneurysms or diseases.
Asking questions of your care team
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” says Molly Szerlip, MD, medical director of the percutaneous valve program at Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital – Plano, which is among the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals named by IBM Watson Health. “When you’re dealing with cardiovascular disease, you should be as informed as possible about your treatment options and help your heart team formulate a treatment plan that is most aligned with your goals and expectations, the experience of your care team and the access they have to the latest innovations in treatment.”
Your list of questions might include:
- How long has the physician been practicing medicine?
- Are there any tests being recommended for me? Are there any other surgical or non-surgical procedures being recommended for me? If yes, can you tell me about the safety of what’s being recommended? What are the pros and cons of each option?
- What type of medications may be used to treat this condition? Are there any long-term drawbacks or risks of taking a particular medication for a longer period of time?
- Is this team involved in research?
When speaking with a surgical care team member, a good list of questions includes:
- How long has the surgeon been in practice? What are her or his outcomes?
- What is the safety and quality profile of the facility where my procedure is scheduled?
- How many of these procedures has this surgeon performed?
- Is the institution performing research?
“Asking about research is important. The answer can say a lot about how knowledgeable a team is on the latest advancements in and data around various treatment options,” says Charles Roberts, MD, chief of cardiovascular services and medical director of cardiovascular education at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, which is among the top centers in the nation for heart transplant volumes and was recently recognized with the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ (STS) highest possible rating for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Baylor University Medical Center has been ranked among the nation’s top hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for more than 25 years and was named among the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in 2022 by IBM Watson Health.
Are second opinions appropriate? Who to call, what to ask
It is a common — and good — medical practice to seek a second opinion, especially before an invasive procedure such as open-heart surgery or stent or if told there is no treatment option available.
Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital – Dallas and Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital – Plano each have a cardiovascular second opinion center, providing each patient with a personal second opinion nurse coordinator to help navigate the process.
“After meeting with you and conducting a thorough evaluation, our team will share a comprehensive report prepared just for you,” said William Ryan, MD, chief quality officer and chairman of cardiovascular surgery at Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital – Plano, which received the highest possible rating for cardiac surgery patient care and outcomes in multiple categories by the STS over the past 12 years. The hospital is ranked among the top 10% in the nation for Cardiology & Heart Surgery by U.S. News & World Report. “We provide each patient with a personalized overview of our team’s opinion, with the goal of either validating the original treatment plan or providing alternatives.”
Next steps after a diagnosis
If you have been newly diagnosed with a heart condition, you are not alone. Cardiovascular disease is the leading diagnosis in the U.S. Once diagnosed, your next step is to find out all that you can about your condition and what the most effective treatments are, so you can move forward with confidence.
To learn more about heart care, visit BSWHealth.com/Heart.
Physicians provide clinical services as members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Scott & White Health’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and do not provide clinical services as employees or agents of those medical centers or Baylor Scott & White Health.
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