Your Trusted Cardiologist In NYC

Current Articles | RSS Feed   RSS Feed

How Will I Know If I Need Heart Surgery

How Will I Know If I Need Heart Surgery

Heart surgery is never an easy possibility to confront. It often involves both the question of if and when you need an invasive solution. There are a couple of indicators along the way that can help you both recognize and accept the decision that needs to be made.  heart-checkups-nyc

Treatment – it’s a Long and Winding Road

The first indicator that you might need heart surgery happens shortly after you’re definitively diagnosed with a form of heart disease.

Your general practitioner and cardiologist will go over the treatment options for your condition and the expected prognosis.

Pay attention to the prognosis. This portion of the conversation will let you know if surgery is a common approach or an expected eventuality for patients diagnosed with a heart condition like yours.

Even if the long-term prognosis points to heart surgery, unless this is an emergent cardiac situation or there are no other treatment options available, chances are it will be a while before you have to focus strictly on invasive measures.

In the meantime, focus on complying with the treatments that don’t involve an operating room:

  • Adaptations
  • Therapies
  • Medications
  • Assistive devices

By focusing on these kinds of treatments, you may be able to put off surgery or avoid it altogether.

When to put off Heart Surgery

Focusing on the space between your diagnosis and surgery may result in no longer needing an invasive procedure. It can also slow the progression of your heart condition and give you more time without the necessity of surgical intervention.

Certain forms of circulation therapy and minimally invasive procedures might be enough to restore function to your heart without undergoing bypass surgery. By the same token, in certain cases, it is best to avoid surgery for as long as possible. Assistive devices like L-VADs make it possible for patients to have a better quality of life while waiting for heart transplant.

If you’re wondering whether putting off surgery is a good idea or not, you need to speak to a heart surgeon as soon as possible. They can evaluate your case and tell you if immediate surgery is recommended. This is particularly important for patients who are outside of the normal age range for heart surgery and patients with aggressive forms of heart disease.

New advancements are being made in the field of cardiology every day. Some of these advancements will have an impact on your decision of whether or not to have heart surgery.

Get the latest advice from a specialist and a surgeon so you know whether surgery is in your best interest or not.

Dr. Seldon, a Heart Doctor and Cardiologist in New York City, offers same day appointments and all testing is done on site.  Call us at (212) 367-8000.

file-377486013

Comments

Currently, there are no comments. Be the first to post one!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All Posts